In Wayne County, Michigan, rent on a two-bedroom takes about one in three dollars of the typical household's income
In Wayne County, 29.4% of the median household's income would go to rent on a two-bedroom at HUD's fair market rent (HUD and Census Bureau, HUD rent fiscal year 2027; household income 2024). That is higher than in 96% of U.S. counties.
More distressed than 98% of U.S. counties.
What drives Wayne County's score
In Wayne County, housing costs weigh most: the score for housing costs is 94.9. Rent on a two-bedroom takes 29.4% of the median household's income (fiscal year 2027), higher than in 96% of U.S. counties. Jobs come next, at 89.9.
The County Distress Index combines five things we measure for every county: jobs, late payments on loans, income and the safety net, collections and bankruptcy, and housing costs. Each gets a score from 0 to 100; the higher the score, the worse off the county is compared with others.
Wayne County does better than most counties on two measures: people without health insurance (5.6%, 2020 to 2024) and people with a disability (15.9%, 2020 to 2024).
The five parts count equally; together they hold 14 measures. Under each part, a bar shows where Wayne County ranks among all 3,144 U.S. counties on that measure, as a percentile: the share of counties it is higher than. A longer bar means more trouble.
- 94.9 of 100
Housing costs
Biggest factorHUD's fair market rents, fiscal year 2027; renters, 2020–24 Census survey
- Rent on a two-bedroom as a share of the median income29.4% · fiscal year 202796th percentile
- Renters paying half their income or more in rent28.0% · 2020 to 202493rd percentile
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- 89.9 of 100
Jobs
Adults not working, 2020–24 Census survey; unemployment through Aug 2026
- Adults 25 to 54 not working28.1% · 2020 to 202485th percentile
- Unemployment rate, 12-month average6.3% · Sep 2025 to Aug 202694th percentile
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- 88.6 of 100
Collections and bankruptcy
Credit records, August 2025; bankruptcy filings, 2025
- People with unpaid debt sent to a collector32.6% · August 202580th percentile
- Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people402.3 · 202596th percentile
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- 87.6 of 100
Late payments
Credit records, August 2025; credit scores, Q4 2025
- People with a car or retail loan behind10.8% · August 202594th percentile
- People with a credit card behind8.2% · August 202586th percentile
- People with a subprime credit score32.8% · Q4 202582nd percentile
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- 67.1 of 100
Income and safety net
Poverty and income, 2024; disability and insurance, 2020–24 Census survey
- Children below the poverty line33.2% · 202495th percentile
- People with a disability15.9% · 2020 to 202449th percentile
- Median household income (lower income, longer bar)$59,484 · 202472nd percentile
- People below the poverty line22.1% · 202492nd percentile
- People without health insurance5.6% · 2020 to 202426th percentile
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Sources: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau income; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; Urban Institute, Debt in America; Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. County Distress Index by American Default Research, from data through Aug 2026.
Where the money in Wayne County comes from
The Bureau of Economic Analysis adds up all the income that reaches the people of a county and splits it three ways: pay from work, income from investments and rent, and benefit checks.
Cents of every dollar of income, 2024
Wayne County
Michigan
United States
- Pay from work
- Investments and rent
- Benefit checks
In Wayne County in 2024, pay from work was 56 cents of every dollar of income. Income from investments and rentals was 17 cents. Benefit checks were 28 cents. Across the country, pay is 61 cents of the dollar and benefit checks are 18.
Benefit checks have grown from 8 cents of every dollar in 1969, but pay from work still brings in more.
In Wayne County, benefit checks rose from 8 to 28 cents of every dollar
Benefit checks and pay from work as shares of all personal income, Wayne County, Michigan: 27.6% and 55.8% in 2024. Yearly, 1969–2024.
Use this chart Free to use with credit
The quote: In 2024, benefit checks made up 27.6% of all personal income in Wayne County, Michigan (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAINC4).
Benefit checks are Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid paid on people's behalf, veterans' benefits, and food and income support, so a high share usually means an older population, low pay, or both. In Wayne County, 16.6% of residents are 65 or older (Census Bureau, 2024), against 17.2% nationally.
How Wayne County has changed
The number of people living in Wayne County fell by about three in 10 between 1969 and 2024, from 2,685,171 to 1,771,063. The number of jobs located there fell by about two in 10 from 1990 to 2024.
Unemployment fell from 9.3% in 1990 to 6.0% in 2025.
| Measure | Then | Now |
|---|---|---|
| People living in the countyBEA | 1969 2,685,171 | 2024 1,771,063 |
| Jobs located in the countyBLS QCEW | 1990 879,560 | 2024 725,504 |
| Unemployment rateBLS LAUS | 1990 9.3% | 2025 6.0% |
| People below the poverty lineCensus SAIPE | 1989 19.2% | 2024 22.1% |
| Median household income (not adjusted for prices)Census SAIPE | 1989 $27,554 | 2024 $59,484 |
| Share of income from benefit checksBEA | 1969 7.8% | 2024 27.6% |
Figures are as each agency published them, not adjusted for prices. We don't chart the distress score over time because it compares counties at one moment.
Dated events in Wayne County's history
Largest decennial census count
The county's largest recorded population was the 1970 Census count of 2,666,751. The 2020 Census counted 1,793,561, 67% of the peak. Census Bureau
1796
1796 (created) 1815 (organized). Wikipedia
1997
Tornado: $90 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
2014
Flash flood: $1.1 billion in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
2019
Flash flood: $64 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
2021
Flash flood: $139 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
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Since 1972
17 federal disaster and emergency declarations have covered Wayne County, 10 of them for flooding. FEMA
Storms are listed if they did $1 million or more in damage or killed someone.
Wayne County beside its neighbors
Wayne County scores higher than all four counties that border it. Of the group, Wayne County gets the largest share of its income from benefit checks (27.6%).
| County | Score | Poverty | Benefit checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County, MI | 98 | 22.1% | 27.6% |
| Macomb County, MI | 61 | 10.8% | 21.0% |
| Monroe County, MI | 47 | 9.7% | 22.0% |
| Washtenaw County, MI | 32 | 13.9% | 13.1% |
| Oakland County, MI | 24 | 7.6% | 12.8% |
Distress score: American Default Research, County Distress Index, data through Aug 2026; each county scored against all 3,144. Poverty rate: Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. Benefit checks: Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024. Neighbors share a border, from Census county maps.
Is Wayne County the poorest county in Michigan?
No, Wayne County's poverty rate was 22.1% in 2024, 2nd highest of 83 in Michigan (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). By that measure the poorest county in the state is Lake County, at 24.2%. On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, Wayne County ranks 1st of 83 in the state.
Wayne County in photographs
Places in Wayne County from Wikimedia Commons, each captioned in its photographer's own words.
Wayne County Building on Cadillac Square Čeština: Wayne County Building na Cadillac Square.
FARMER(1884) p170 FAC-SIMILE OF FIRST PROCLAMATION ESTABLISHING WAYNE COUNTY.jpg.
Photo: Not stated on the file page via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
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Wayne County, Michigan: common questions
What is the poverty rate in Wayne County, Michigan?
22.1% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates: about one in five people. Among children it was 33.2%.
Is Wayne County the poorest county in Michigan?
No, Wayne County's poverty rate was 22.1% in 2024, 2nd highest of 83 in Michigan (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). By that measure the poorest county in the state is Lake County, at 24.2%. On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, Wayne County ranks 1st of 83 in the state.
What is the population of Wayne County, Michigan?
About 1,771,063 people in 2024, by the Bureau of Economic Analysis's count. The 2020 Census counted 1,793,561, 67% of the county's peak of 2,666,751 in 1970.
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
We rank every U.S. county on 14 federal measures of money trouble, grouped into five equally weighted parts, and average them. The published score is the share of the other 3,143 counties with a lower average. The methodology lists every measure and its source.
If you're behind on your mortgage in Wayne County
A U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-approved housing counselor works at a nonprofit agency approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The counseling to avoid foreclosure is free, and a counselor can help you talk to your mortgage company and understand what it offers, according to the Consumer Financial Protection BureauSourceCFPB.
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Abayomi Community Development Corporation
HUD-approved housing counselor
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Amandla Community Development Corporation
HUD-approved housing counselor
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Bridging Communities, Inc.
HUD-approved housing counselor
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Legal Aid & Defender Association of Detroit
Legal aid
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Michigan Legal Help / Wolverine Legal Aid
Legal aid
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HUD-approved housing counselors
Counseling to avoid foreclosure is free. Our help directory lists 1,311 approved agencies by state.
The score, its 14 measures and their sources, in one file. Free to use with credit to American Default Research.
Sources and method
- American Default Research · County Distress Index Data through Aug 2026, built from HUD Fair Market Rents and Census income; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; Urban Institute, Debt in America; U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. Our methodology
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts (CAINC4) · income shares Where the money in Wayne County comes from, 2024.
- History The agencies named in each row and the linked records above.