Wayne County, Michigan
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Wayne County. Population: 1,751,169 (metro).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Wayne County, MI shows significant household financial distress with a score of 65.1 — 493rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Michigan, it ranks 5th of 83 counties. It scores higher than all 4 of its neighboring counties.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Wayne County compares to all U.S. counties across five dimensions of financial distress. Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.
Housing Cost Burden
Primary DriverDebt & Delinquency
Income & Poverty
Employment & Wages
Community Vulnerability
How Wayne County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County, MI | 65.1 | Serious Stress | — |
| Monroe County, MI | 44.2 | Normal | -20.9 |
| Macomb County, MI | 43.9 | Normal | -21.1 |
| Washtenaw County, MI | 39.3 | Normal | -25.7 |
| Oakland County, MI | 28.5 | Healthy | -36.6 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (metro) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duval County, FL | 64.9 | Elevated | -0.2 |
| Clark County, NV | 65.6 | Serious Stress | +0.6 |
| Philadelphia County, PA | 66.7 | Serious Stress | +1.6 |
| Bexar County, TX | 62.9 | Elevated | -2.2 |
| Fresno County, CA | 67.9 | Serious Stress | +2.9 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Wayne County as a CSV file.
Resources
Wayne County scores in the Serious Stress zone. If you or someone you know is experiencing financial hardship, free help is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for Wayne County, Michigan?
Wayne County has a County Distress Index score of 65.1 out of 100, placing it in the Serious Stress zone. It ranks 493rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 5th in Michigan out of 83 counties.
What drives financial distress in Wayne County?
The primary driver of distress in Wayne County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 85.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).
How does Wayne County compare to neighboring counties?
Wayne County (65.1) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Monroe County, MI (44.2); Macomb County, MI (43.9); Washtenaw County, MI (39.3).
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 Wayne County?
Wayne County, Michigan has a population of approximately 1,751,169 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a metro county.