St. Clair County, Michigan

County Distress Index: Elevated · 51.9 | 159,874 people · 35th most distressed in Michigan
American Default Research

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St. Clair County, MI registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 51.9 — 1458th 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 35th of 83 counties. Among its 3 neighboring counties, 2 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. St. Clair County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 75.4 — worse than roughly 75% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 75.4
Unemployment Rate 82
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 81
Business Formation Rate 63
Housing Cost Burden 71.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 94
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 88
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 79
Homeownership Rate 17
Rent-to-Income Ratio 78
Debt & Delinquency 46.8
Debt in Collections 41
Medical Debt 38
Student Loan Delinquency 35
Auto Loan Delinquency 43
Credit Card Delinquency 52
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 71
Community Vulnerability 36.0
Uninsured Rate 15
Disability Rate 57
Income & Poverty 29.9
Poverty Rate 35
Income vs. State Median 23
Child Poverty Rate 32

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

Neighbors and Peers

How St. Clair County compares to its 3 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. St. Clair County
St. Clair County, MI 51.9 Elevated —
Sanilac County, MI 52.5 Elevated +0.6
Lapeer County, MI 48.4 Normal -3.5
Macomb County, MI 43.9 Normal -7.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. St. Clair County
Crawford County, PA 51.8 Elevated -0.0
Oneida County, NY 51.8 Elevated -0.0
Wood County, WV 51.8 Elevated -0.1
Erie County, OH 52.0 Elevated +0.1
DeKalb County, IL 51.7 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for St. Clair County as a CSV file.

Find Help in St. Clair County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near St. Clair County.

BLUE WATER COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY
Port Huron
810-982-8541
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingPre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education

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 St. Clair 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 St. Clair County, Michigan?

    St. Clair County has a County Distress Index score of 51.9 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,458th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 35th in Michigan out of 83 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in St. Clair County?

    The primary driver of distress in St. Clair County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 75.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does St. Clair County compare to neighboring counties?

    St. Clair County (51.9) can be compared to its 3 neighboring counties: Sanilac County, MI (52.5); Lapeer County, MI (48.4); Macomb County, MI (43.9).

  • 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 St. Clair County?

    St. Clair County, Michigan has a population of approximately 159,874 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.