Ottawa County, Michigan

County Distress Index: Healthy · 31.8 | 303,372 people · 78th most distressed in Michigan
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Ottawa County, MI ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 31.8 — 2813th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where unemployment is elevated, wages are low relative to housing costs, and business formation lags. Within Michigan, it ranks 78th of 83 counties. It scores lower than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Ottawa County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 65.8 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 65.8
Unemployment Rate 55
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 82
Business Formation Rate 60
Housing Cost Burden 58.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 77
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 72
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 58
Homeownership Rate 26
Rent-to-Income Ratio 61
Debt & Delinquency 21.9
Debt in Collections 11
Medical Debt 36
Student Loan Delinquency 15
Auto Loan Delinquency 33
Credit Card Delinquency 12
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 24
Income & Poverty 8.3
Poverty Rate 13
Income vs. State Median 8
Child Poverty Rate 4
Community Vulnerability 4.1
Uninsured Rate 3
Disability Rate 5

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Ottawa County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Ottawa County
Ottawa County, MI 31.8 Healthy —
Milwaukee County, WI 58.2 Elevated +26.4
Muskegon County, MI 53.3 Elevated +21.5
Racine County, WI 44.3 Normal +12.5
Kent County, MI 37.7 Normal +6.0
Allegan County, MI 32.6 Healthy +0.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Ottawa County
Dane County, WI 31.7 Healthy -0.0
Union County, NC 31.9 Healthy +0.1
Boulder County, CO 31.4 Healthy -0.3
Ada County, ID 32.1 Healthy +0.3
Somerset County, NJ 31.4 Healthy -0.4

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Ottawa County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Ottawa County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Ottawa County.

COMMUNITY ACTION HOUSE
Holland
616-392-2368 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling

See all counselors in Michigan →

Find an Attorney

State Bar of Michigan Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

State Bar of Michigan Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-968-0738

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Ottawa County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid & Defender Association of Detroit 313-967-5555
Michigan Legal Help / Wolverine Legal Aid
Neighborhood Legal Services of Michigan 248-548-3838
Michigan Advocacy Program 616-774-0672
Legal Services of South Central Michigan 734-665-6181
Lakeshore Legal Aid (888) 783-8190
Legal Aid of Western Michigan (616) 774-0672
Legal Services of Eastern Michigan (800) 322-4512
Legal Services of Northern Michigan, Inc. (906) 786-2303

Self-Help Resources

Michigan Legal Help — Foreclosure Self-help guides and interactive tools for Michigan foreclosure process and defenses
MSHDA Homeowner Resources Assistance programs, counselor referrals, and MIHAF information

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Michigan →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Ottawa County, Michigan?

    Ottawa County has a County Distress Index score of 31.8 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,813th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 78th in Michigan out of 83 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Ottawa County?

    The primary driver of distress in Ottawa County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 65.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Ottawa County compare to neighboring counties?

    Ottawa County (31.8) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Milwaukee County, WI (58.2); Muskegon County, MI (53.3); Racine County, WI (44.3).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Ottawa County?

    Ottawa County, Michigan has a population of approximately 303,372 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.