Shiawassee County, Michigan

County Distress Index: Normal · 49.6 | 68,025 people · 43rd most distressed in Michigan
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Shiawassee County, MI falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 49.6 — 1622nd 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 43rd of 83 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 6 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Shiawassee County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 66.8 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 66.8
Unemployment Rate 86
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 49
Business Formation Rate 65
Debt & Delinquency 54.5
Debt in Collections 43
Medical Debt 31
Student Loan Delinquency 66
Auto Loan Delinquency 43
Credit Card Delinquency 59
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 84
Housing Cost Burden 53.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 76
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 76
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 56
Homeownership Rate 22
Rent-to-Income Ratio 39
Income & Poverty 39.6
Poverty Rate 39
Income vs. State Median 36
Child Poverty Rate 43
Community Vulnerability 33.2
Uninsured Rate 12
Disability Rate 54

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Shiawassee County
Shiawassee County, MI 49.6 Normal —
Genesee County, MI 61.2 Elevated +11.6
Saginaw County, MI 59.2 Elevated +9.6
Gratiot County, MI 50.4 Elevated +0.8
Ingham County, MI 48.2 Normal -1.4
Clinton County, MI 29.1 Healthy -20.5
Livingston County, MI 25.3 Healthy -24.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Shiawassee County
Yolo County, CA 49.6 Normal +0.0
Mason County, WA 49.5 Normal -0.0
Macon County, IL 49.5 Normal -0.1
Ionia County, MI 49.5 Normal -0.1
Polk County, OR 49.4 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Shiawassee 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 Shiawassee 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 →

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Shiawassee County has a County Distress Index score of 49.6 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,622nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 43rd in Michigan out of 83 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Shiawassee County?

    The primary driver of distress in Shiawassee County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 66.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Shiawassee County compare to neighboring counties?

    Shiawassee County (49.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Genesee County, MI (61.2); Saginaw County, MI (59.2); Gratiot County, MI (50.4).

  • 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 Shiawassee County?

    Shiawassee County, Michigan has a population of approximately 68,025 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.