St. Joseph County, Michigan

County Distress Index: Normal · 49.0 | 60,878 people · 45th most distressed in Michigan
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St. Joseph County, MI falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 49.0 — 1673rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where health coverage gaps and disability rates are moderately elevated. Within Michigan, it ranks 45th of 83 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. St. Joseph County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 60.3 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 60.3
Uninsured Rate 62
Disability Rate 59
Employment & Wages 57.3
Unemployment Rate 64
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 29
Business Formation Rate 80
Debt & Delinquency 55.6
Debt in Collections 61
Medical Debt 70
Student Loan Delinquency 64
Auto Loan Delinquency 69
Credit Card Delinquency 33
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 36
Housing Cost Burden 39.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 33
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 39
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 53
Homeownership Rate 46
Rent-to-Income Ratio 25
Income & Poverty 32.5
Poverty Rate 35
Income vs. State Median 31
Child Poverty Rate 31

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

Neighbors and Peers

How St. Joseph County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. St. Joseph County
St. Joseph County, MI 49.0 Normal —
Calhoun County, MI 56.9 Elevated +7.9
Branch County, MI 53.6 Elevated +4.6
Elkhart County, IN 50.1 Elevated +1.1
Van Buren County, MI 48.3 Normal -0.7
Cass County, MI 46.6 Normal -2.4
Kalamazoo County, MI 43.8 Normal -5.2
LaGrange County, IN 29.0 Healthy -20.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. St. Joseph County
Davidson County, NC 49.0 Normal +0.0
Gordon County, GA 49.0 Normal +0.0
Mesa County, CO 49.1 Normal +0.1
Livingston Parish, LA 48.8 Normal -0.1
Washington County, NY 48.8 Normal -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in St. Joseph 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 St. Joseph 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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Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Michigan →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for St. Joseph County, Michigan?

    St. Joseph County has a County Distress Index score of 49.0 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,673rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 45th in Michigan out of 83 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in St. Joseph County?

    The primary driver of distress in St. Joseph County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 60.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

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

    St. Joseph County (49.0) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Calhoun County, MI (56.9); Branch County, MI (53.6); Elkhart County, IN (50.1).

  • 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. Joseph County?

    St. Joseph County, Michigan has a population of approximately 60,878 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.