Schoolcraft County, Michigan

County Distress Index: Elevated · 52.6 | 8,149 people · 30th most distressed in Michigan
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Schoolcraft County, MI registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 52.6 — 1408th 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 30th of 83 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Schoolcraft County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 67.5 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 67.5
Unemployment Rate 95
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 35
Business Formation Rate 73
Income & Poverty 65.0
Poverty Rate 58
Income vs. State Median 68
Child Poverty Rate 69
Community Vulnerability 60.6
Uninsured Rate 42
Disability Rate 79
Debt & Delinquency 36.4
Debt in Collections 27
Medical Debt 43
Student Loan Delinquency 46
Auto Loan Delinquency 26
Credit Card Delinquency 62
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 16
Housing Cost Burden 33.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 89
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 5
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 20
Homeownership Rate 5
Rent-to-Income Ratio 48

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Schoolcraft County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Schoolcraft County
Schoolcraft County, MI 52.6 Elevated —
Luce County, MI 62.6 Elevated +10.0
Mackinac County, MI 56.9 Elevated +4.3
Delta County, MI 50.2 Elevated -2.4
Alger County, MI 44.8 Normal -7.8
Charlevoix County, MI 32.7 Healthy -19.9
Leelanau County, MI 25.3 Healthy -27.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Schoolcraft County
Alfalfa County, OK 52.6 Elevated 0.0
Custer County, ID 52.7 Elevated +0.1
Mellette County, SD 52.4 Elevated -0.2
Roger Mills County, OK 52.3 Elevated -0.3
Chattahoochee County, GA 52.3 Elevated -0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Schoolcraft County

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 Schoolcraft 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

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Schoolcraft County has a County Distress Index score of 52.6 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,408th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 30th in Michigan out of 83 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Schoolcraft County?

    The primary driver of distress in Schoolcraft County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 67.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Schoolcraft County compare to neighboring counties?

    Schoolcraft County (52.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Luce County, MI (62.6); Mackinac County, MI (56.9); Delta County, MI (50.2).

  • 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 Schoolcraft County?

    Schoolcraft County, Michigan has a population of approximately 8,149 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.