Michigan's jobless rate, 5.0%, ranks 5th highest in the country
Each state is shaded by how distressed its households are, from green (least) to red (most), with data through September 2026. Michigan scores 92 out of 100.
Michigan’s unemployment rate was 5.0% in August 2026, ranking 5th highest among the 50 states and D.C. It has exceeded the national rate in every month with figures since May 2021. Late bills are about as common as elsewhere. Wayne, Clare and Genesee rank among Michigan’s hardest-hit counties. Leelanau and Livingston are the least distressed.
- Score
- 92/100
- Data through
- September 2026
- Edition
- October 2026
Next edition expected March 2027
How Michigan ranks among the states
Michigan is the 5th most distressed of the 50 states and D.C., yet its households carry less debt than most. Michiganders owed $48,050 per person with a credit report at the end of 2025, the 9th lowest of the 50 states and D.C., against $63,200 nationwide (Federal Reserve Bank of New York). They’re also about as likely as other Americans to have a debt seriously late. What sets Michigan apart is jobs and rent: its unemployment rate is among the highest of any state, and a larger share of its renters pay half their income for housing than in most states.
What drives the score
The score has four parts. Each part is built from one to three measures, and each measure is ranked against the other states on a scale of 0 to 100. The score isn’t the average of the parts: Michigan’s average of the four, 73, is higher than 92% of the other states’ averages, so its score is 92.
- Jobs91Unemployment averaged 5.0% from June through August 2026, against 4.1% for the U.S. The separate August rate was 5.0%.
- Renters’ housing costs85In 2024, 26.8% of renter households paid half or more of their income for housing, against 26.1% for the U.S.
- Collections and bankruptcy67More bankruptcy filings per person than the U.S. (2025); a slightly smaller share of people with a debt in collections (early 2025)
- Late payments50About as many borrowers 90 or more days behind on cards, car loans and mortgages as the U.S. average (early 2025)
Beside its neighbors
Michigan scores far higher than all three of its neighbors. Indiana is next, then Ohio; Wisconsin is among the least distressed states.
State Distress Index score, 0 to 100. The four states’ typical household incomes are close: Michigan’s, $72,336 in 2024, is a little above Indiana’s and Ohio’s and below Wisconsin’s $77,557 (Census Bureau). The biggest gap is jobs. In August 2026, unemployment was 3.3% in Indiana, 3.3% in Ohio and 3.2% in Wisconsin (Bureau of Labor Statistics). On late payments alone, Indiana and Ohio score higher than Michigan.
Its rank has climbed since 2020
At its worst
2nd most distressed, with a score of 98, in every quarter from mid-2006 through 2009 except the last quarter of 2008. Through those years both its jobs and renters’ costs parts were near the top of the scale. In our quarterly history, Michigan has never ranked first.
By early 2025
Tied for 6th most distressed, up from 24th in early 2020, its least distressed point, just before the pandemic.
Why it moved
Jobs, mostly. The pandemic brought a short spike: the jobs part fell to 56 in early 2020, jumped to 95 in the spring as businesses closed, then eased over the next year. Most of the lasting climb since early 2020 came in mid-2024, when the jobs part rose from 85 to 91 and renters’ costs from 66 to 74. Today Michigan ranks 5th, its highest rank since early 2011.
Michigan was the 2nd most distressed state in most quarters from 2006 to 2009, fell to 24th in early 2020 and by early 2025 was tied for 6th
State Distress Index score, 0 to 100, each quarter, third quarter of 2006 to first quarter of 2025.
The poorest and most distressed counties in Michigan
Lake County, in the western part of the Lower Peninsula, is Michigan’s poorest county: 24.2% of its residents lived in poverty in 2024, the highest share of the state’s 83 counties (Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). Wayne County, home to Detroit, is the most distressed on our County Distress Index, which scores every U.S. county on household financial distress; it ranks 55th of 3,144 counties nationwide. Leelanau County, on the peninsula northwest of Traverse City, is the least distressed.
Distress runs highest around Detroit, Flint and Saginaw and in the rural middle and north of the Lower Peninsula; none of the 20 most distressed counties is in the Upper Peninsula
County Distress Index score, 0 to 100, for Michigan’s 83 counties, data through August 2026.
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Most distressed
| Rank | County | Score | Poverty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wayne | 98 | 22.1% |
| 2 | Clare | 90 | 19.3% |
| 3 | Genesee | 88 | 18.0% |
| 4 | Oscoda | 83 | 16.5% |
| 5 | Saginaw | 83 | 16.8% |
| 6 | Roscommon | 80 | 16.3% |
| 7 | Osceola | 77 | 15.6% |
| 8 | Montmorency | 76 | 15.3% |
| 9 | Lake | 76 | 24.2% |
| 10 | Calhoun | 75 | 14.5% |
Least distressed
| Rank | County | Score | Poverty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 79 | Grand Traverse | 16 | 8.4% |
| 80 | Ottawa | 13 | 8.8% |
| 81 | Clinton | 11 | 8.4% |
| 82 | Livingston | 6 | 5.4% |
| 83 | Leelanau | 5 | 6.5% |
Rank in Michigan, 1 = most distressed. Ranks come from unrounded scores, so counties showing the same score can rank differently (Saginaw and Oscoda show the same score). Poverty: share of residents in poverty, Census Bureau, 2024.
Every county, by score
Michigan has 6 counties scoring 80 or more, and together they hold 24.0% of Michiganders. The state’s other big counties score lower: Macomb, north of Detroit, ranks 21st in Michigan, Kent (Grand Rapids) 68th and Oakland 74th.
21 score 50–69
Isabella, Mecosta, Ingham, Jackson, Luce, Macomb, St. Clair, Iosco, Arenac, Iron, Tuscola, Branch, Sanilac, Gogebic, Berrien, Kalkaska, Hillsdale, St. Joseph, Shiawassee, Manistee, Lapeer
Poorest isn’t the same as most distressed
Poverty is only one measure in one of the five equal parts of our county score; late payments, collections and bankruptcy, jobs, and housing costs make up the other four. So some of Michigan’s poorest counties rank much lower on distress. Two are college counties: Isabella, home to Central Michigan University, and Mecosta, home to Ferris State University, have poverty rates ranking 6th highest and tied for 4th highest in the state, yet rank 16th and 17th on distress. One possible reason, which we haven’t measured for these counties: the Census Bureau has found that college students who live off campus raise poverty rates in college counties, while students living in dorms aren’t counted (U.S. Census Bureau). The Upper Peninsula shows the same split. Luce, Gogebic and Houghton counties are among Michigan’s 10 poorest, yet Luce, the highest of them on distress, ranks 20th.
The Lake County Courthouse in Baldwin, its pediment marked 1927, photographed in 2019. Lake County’s typical household earned $48,557 in 2024, the 2nd lowest in Michigan (Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Photo: rossograph, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
How many people live in Michigan?
Michigan had 10,127,884 residents in 2025, the most in any year since at least 2000, the first year of our yearly Census Bureau estimates. It has grown slowly: the population rose 0.6% from 2020 to 2025, tied for 11th lowest among the 50 states and D.C. Wayne County is by far the largest county. In 2023, the year of our county population figures, it had 1,751,169 residents, about 17% of the state’s population that year, though it had 2,666,751 in 1970. Oakland, Macomb and Kent are next.
Residents
10,127,884
2025
Growth since 2020
0.6%
Tied for 11th lowest of the 50 states and D.C., 2020 to 2025
Residents 65 and older
18.6%
U.S. 17.2%
15th highest of the 50 states and D.C., 2020 to 2024
Population by county, with each county’s score: all 83 Michigan counties →. Population: Census Bureau population estimates; ages: Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
What is Michigan’s unemployment rate?
Michigan’s unemployment rate was 5.0% in August 2026, the 5th highest of the 50 states and D.C., against 4.1% for the U.S. (Bureau of Labor Statistics). It has been above the U.S. rate in every month with figures since May 2021, 63 in all. It climbed from 3.9% in January 2024 to 5.3% at the start of 2025 and has stayed close to its August level since mid-2025.
The rate edged up in August from July. The state’s labor market office says that rise was driven by a smaller workforce: Michigan’s labor force fell by 158,000 in the year to August 2026, while payroll jobs rose by 8,000 (Michigan Center for Data and Analytics). The unemployment rate counts only people looking for work, so it moves when people stop looking or leave, too.
Unemployment rate
5.0%
U.S. 4.1%
5th highest of the 50 states and D.C., August 2026
Payroll jobs
4,496,000
August 2026, seasonally adjusted, Michigan Center for Data and Analytics
Income per person
$63,690
U.S. $73,204
11th lowest of the 50 states and D.C., 2024
Michigan’s unemployment rate has been higher than the nation’s in all but 14 of the 307 months with figures since 2001
Unemployment rate, Michigan and the United States, each month, January 1990 to August 2026. No figures for October 2025, during the federal shutdown.
Where Michiganders earn less
Income per person, which counts wages, business income, investments and government benefits, is below the U.S. figure (Bureau of Economic Analysis). Government benefits, such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and veterans’ benefits, made up 21.8% of all income in Michigan in 2024, the 11th highest share of the 50 states and D.C., against 18.3% nationwide.
Michigan’s minimum wage is $13.73 an hour in 2026 and rises on Jan. 1, 2027 (Michigan Labor and Economic Opportunity department). Unemployment benefits are claimed through the state’s Unemployment Insurance Agency.
Unemployment is highest in the northeast Lower Peninsula and Wayne
| County | Rate |
|---|---|
| Oscoda | 8.6% |
| Alcona | 7.2% |
| Wayne | 6.9% |
| Presque Isle | 6.9% |
| Ogemaw | 6.7% |
| Iosco | 6.7% |
| Genesee | 5.8% |
| Oakland | 4.7% |
| Kent | 4.3% |
| Grand Traverse | 3.5% |
Unemployment rate in selected counties, August 2026, not adjusted for seasonal swings. Oscoda County’s rate was the 19th highest of 3,143 U.S. counties with an unemployment rate. Grand Traverse and Mackinac had the lowest in Michigan. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
For the size of Michigan’s economy, its gross domestic product, see the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Monthly state job figures: Michigan Center for Data and Analytics.
Is it expensive to live in Michigan?
Housing costs less here than in most states: the median rent is below the U.S. median, and only two states have a larger share of homes lived in by their owners (Census Bureau). But Michigan’s renters are squeezed. A slightly larger share of them pay half or more of their income for rent and utilities than renters nationwide, and that small gap is enough to put Michigan among the 10 highest states. We don’t measure food prices, home prices, property taxes or utility bills, so we can’t rank the overall cost of living.
Median rent, a month
$1,129
U.S. $1,413
20th lowest of the 50 states and D.C., 2020 to 2024
Renters paying half or more of income on housing
26.8%
U.S. 26.1%
8th highest of the 50 states and D.C., 2024
Homes lived in by their owners
73.2%
U.S. 65.2%
Tied for 3rd highest of the 50 states and D.C., 2020 to 2024
Michigan renters were squeezed hardest in 2011; since 2015 the share paying half their income has stayed within one point of the nation’s
Share of renter households spending half or more of their income on rent and utilities, Michigan and the United States, each year from 2005 to 2024. The Census Bureau didn’t publish a 2020 figure.
What it takes to get by in Michigan
MIT’s Living Wage Calculator estimates that a single adult with no children needs $45,914 a year before taxes to cover basic costs in Michigan, the 21st lowest of the 50 states and D.C. overall. For two working parents raising two children, the figure is $107,165 (2025 dollars).
Power and gas bills aren’t in our data. The state’s utility regulator approved higher home rates for DTE Electric and Consumers Energy early in 2026 and for DTE Gas in September (see what changed).
Michigan’s rent is the highest of its neighbors’
| Measure | Michigan | Indiana | Ohio | Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent, a month, 2020 to 2024 Ohio $1,034 · Wisconsin $1,087 | $1,129 Indiana $1,062 | $1,062 | $1,034 | $1,087 |
| Typical rent as a share of typical income, 2024 Ohio 17.2% · Wisconsin 16.8% | 18.7% Indiana 17.7% | 17.7% | 17.2% | 16.8% |
| Renters paying half or more of income, 2024 Ohio 24.6% · Wisconsin 21.3% | 26.8% Indiana 24.1% | 24.1% | 24.6% | 21.3% |
| Homes lived in by their owners, 2020 to 2024 Ohio 67.2% · Wisconsin 67.8% | 73.2% Indiana 70.6% | 70.6% | 67.2% | 67.8% |
Michigan’s rent is the highest of the four, and so is the share of income it takes. Sources: Census Bureau, American Community Survey (five-year figures for rent and homes lived in by owners; one-year figures for renters paying half their income). Rent as a share of income is our calculation from Census Bureau figures.
Is Michigan poor?
Poorer than most states, and poorer than it used to be. Michigan’s poverty rate, 13.4% in 2024, ranked tied for 11th highest among the 50 states and D.C., and its typical household earned $72,336, the 13th lowest (Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). Its poverty rate was below the nation’s in every Census estimate from 1989 to 2005 and has been above it every year since 2006.
Residents in poverty
13.4%
U.S. 12.1%
Tied for 11th highest of the 50 states and D.C., 2024
Median household income
$72,336
U.S. $81,604
13th lowest of the 50 states and D.C., 2024
Residents getting SNAP food benefits
13.1%
U.S. 10.7%
9th highest of the 50 states and D.C., June 2026
Michigan’s poverty rate rose above the nation’s in 2006 and has stayed there
Share of residents in poverty, Michigan and the United States, 1989 to 2024. The Census Bureau made no state estimates for 1990 to 1992 or 1994.
Fewer Michiganders get food help, but need hasn’t clearly fallen
The share of Michiganders getting SNAP food benefits is close to the state’s poverty rate and above the nation’s. But the number fell 9.9% in the year to June 2026, to 1,328,896, still above the pre-pandemic average of 1,155,952 (U.S. Department of Agriculture). Unemployment didn’t improve over that time; the rate was the same in June 2026 as a year earlier. Federal law has also tightened SNAP’s work rules. Able-bodied adults 18 to 64 without dependents under 14 must work, volunteer or train at least 80 hours a month to get benefits for more than three months in three years. Exceptions for veterans, people who are homeless and young adults who aged out of foster care ended (Detroit Free Press, via Michigan Public). We haven’t measured how much of the drop the rules explain.
“I don’t believe that the folks who are no longer receiving the benefits are suddenly no longer in need of SNAP benefits.”
| Measure | Michigan | U.S. | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children in poverty, 2024 14th highest | 17.7% U.S. 15.5% | 15.5% | 14th highest |
| Residents with a disability, 2020 to 2024 18th highest | 14.3% U.S. 13.3% | 13.3% | 18th highest |
Ranks among the 50 states and D.C. SNAP: USDA Food and Nutrition Administration. Children in poverty: Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. Disability: Census Bureau, American Community Survey. To apply for food or health help in Michigan: MI Bridges →
How Michigan went from above average to below
Michigan’s typical household earned more than the U.S. typical household in every Census estimate through 2004, and less in every year since 2005; in 2024 it earned 88.6% of the U.S. figure (Census Bureau). The turn came as Michigan lost 351,000 jobs from 2000 to 2006, 241,000 of them in manufacturing (Congressional Research Service). The two happened at the same time; we haven’t measured how much of the slide the job losses explain.
What changed in Michigan in the past year
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Oct. 1, 2026
Michigan pays more of the cost of running SNAP
Under the 2025 federal law known as the One Big Beautiful Bill, Michigan now pays 75% of the cost of running SNAP, the food benefit program, up from half. The same law tightened the work rules for adults without dependents under 14. Fewer Michiganders get the benefits than a year earlier (see the numbers).
-
Sept. 10, 2026
Regulators approve a smaller gas rate increase than DTE asked for
The Michigan Public Service Commission approved a DTE Gas rate increase that adds $2.87 a month, or 3.34%, for a typical home, less than half of what the company requested. It also raised the monthly credit for low-income customers.
-
July 21, 2026
The state budget is signed
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the state budget for the year that began Oct. 1, 2026. Her office says it keeps free school meals for every public school student, finishes ending the state tax on retirement income and sets aside money to prepare for the new federal food and health rules.
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July 2, 2026
A federal disaster declaration for spring storms
President Trump approved a major disaster declaration for the storms and nine tornadoes of April 10 to 21, which caused widespread damage and flooding in 43 counties. Residents of 27 counties, including Saginaw, Muskegon, Osceola and Roscommon, can apply for federal aid to individuals.
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June 23, 2026
The Supreme Court rules on a Michigan tax foreclosure
In Pung v. Isabella County, the U.S. Supreme Court held that when a county sells a home for unpaid property taxes at a fairly run sale, the former owner is owed the surplus from the sale price, not the home’s market value. The Pung family owed $2,241.93 in taxes; the county sold the home, assessed at $194,400, for $76,008.
Supreme Court opinion, via Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute
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March 27, 2026
Consumers Energy electric rates rise
The Michigan Public Service Commission approved a Consumers Energy electric rate increase, effective May 1, that adds $6.46 a month, or 6.1%, for a typical home.
-
Feb. 19, 2026
DTE Electric rates rise
The commission approved a DTE Electric rate increase, effective March 5, that adds $4.93 a month, or 4.6%, for a typical home, less than half of what DTE requested.
-
Jan. 1, 2026
The minimum wage rises
Michigan’s minimum wage rose to $13.73 an hour, under a 2025 law that raises it again in January (see what to watch).
Michiganders are about as likely as other Americans to be behind on their bills
In early 2025, 16.5% of Michiganders had a debt 90 or more days late, the 23rd highest share of the 50 states and D.C., against 17.2% for the U.S. (Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia). The national figure is our population-weighted average of the states. These are people’s own debts, not the state government’s.
Ranks among the 50 states and D.C., 1 = highest share: collections 24th, card 24th, auto tied for 21st, mortgage tied for 28th. The U.S. figure is our population-weighted average of the states.
The share of Michiganders with a debt in collections was 20.0% at the end of 2019. Part of the fall since then reflects what credit reports count, not fewer people struggling to pay. In 2022, the three big credit bureaus said they would stop reporting many medical debts. Nationwide, the share of people with a medical collection on their credit record fell from about 14% in March 2022 to about 5% in June 2023 (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau).
Counting dollars, car loans stand out
The New York Fed measures something else: the share of money owed, not of people, that is 90 or more days late. By that count, Michigan’s car loans are among the most behind in the country. At the end of 2025, 6.3% of auto loan balances were seriously late, tied for 6th highest among the 50 states and D.C. That was up from 5.3% in 2019. For card balances the share was lower than the nation’s, and for mortgages it matched.
| Loan type | Michigan | U.S. | Michigan 2019 | U.S. 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Credit card | 11.3% End of 2025 U.S. 12.4% Michigan 2019 6.9% · U.S. 2019 8.1% | 12.4% | 6.9% | 8.1% |
| Auto loan | 6.3% End of 2025 U.S. 5.2% Michigan 2019 5.3% · U.S. 2019 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.3% | 4.9% |
| Mortgage | 0.9% End of 2025 U.S. 0.9% Michigan 2019 0.7% · U.S. 2019 1.0% | 0.9% | 0.7% | 1.0% |
Share of balances 90 or more days past due, end of 2025 and end of 2019. Source: Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Consumer Credit Panel / Equifax. It counts dollars, not people, so it can’t be compared with the Philadelphia Fed figures above, and it includes old debts that lenders have written off but still report.
Homeowners have more cushion than most
In the second quarter of 2026, 2.9% of Michigan mortgages had less than 10% equity, the 14th lowest share of the 50 states and D.C., against 4.7% nationwide (Federal Housing Finance Agency). Equity is the share of a home’s value that isn’t owed to a lender.
| Measure | Michigan | U.S. | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mortgages owing more than the home is worth, second quarter of 2026 | 0.1% U.S. 0.3% | 0.3% | |
| Mortgages 30 to 89 days late, Sept. 2025 Tied for 21st highest | 1.7% U.S. 1.6% | 1.6% | Tied for 21st highest |
| People with a credit score under 620, early 2025 23rd highest | 13.0% U.S. 13.8% | 13.8% | 23rd highest |
Ranks among the 50 states and D.C. Mortgages owing more than the home is worth: Federal Housing Finance Agency (no rank shown: many states share the same rounded figure). Mortgages 30 to 89 days late, an early stage of falling behind: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Credit scores: Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia; the U.S. figure is our population-weighted average of the states.
How foreclosure works in Michigan
Most Michigan foreclosures happen without a court, through what state law calls foreclosure by advertisement. The mortgage company publishes a notice of the sale in a county newspaper once a week for four weeks in a row and posts a copy on the home within 15 days of the first notice. The county sheriff holds the sale (MCL 600.3208). Federal rules generally bar that first step until a home loan is more than 120 days behind. After the sale, Michigan law gives the homeowner time to buy the home back by paying the sale price plus interest. The period is six months for most homes where more than two-thirds of the original loan was still owed; otherwise it is a year. For a home found to be abandoned, it can be as little as 30 days (MCL 600.3240).
- Goes through a court
- Usually not
- Notice of sale published
- 4 weeks
- Who holds the sale
- County sheriff
- Right to stop the sale by catching up
- Not in the law
- Time to buy the home back after the sale
- 6 months to 1 year
- Lender can sue for the balance left after the sale
- Yes, with limits
- Statewide foreclosure mediation
- No
What the law says. Sources: MCL 600.3201 to 600.3240 and 600.3280; federal rule 12 CFR 1024.41. How foreclosure works in Michigan →
Michigan’s share of the federal Homeowner Assistance Fund, run as MIHAF by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, helped 29,151 households with mortgage and other housing costs from a $242.8 million award (U.S. Treasury, through early 2026). No new aid could be committed after Sept. 30, 2026.
Homes can also be lost for unpaid property taxes, through the county treasurer rather than the mortgage company. In June 2026 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a Michigan case that the former owner is owed the surplus from a fairly run tax sale (see what changed).
Michigan bankruptcy filings rose for a fourth straight year
Michiganders filed 22,269 bankruptcy cases in 2025, up 9.2% from 2024 and the most since 2019, when they filed 30,696 (U.S. Courts). Measured against its 2024 population, Michigan had 219.6 filings for every 100,000 residents, the 13th highest rate of the 50 states and D.C. and above the U.S. rate of 167.1. Filings are still far below 2005, when Michiganders filed 89,473 cases.
| Year | Filings |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 29,686 |
| 2019 | 30,696 |
| 2020 | 21,661 |
| 2021 | 16,922 |
| 2022 | 16,949 |
| 2023 | 18,922 |
| 2024 | 20,396 |
| 2025 | 22,269 |
Bankruptcy cases filed in Michigan’s federal courts each calendar year, all chapters. Source: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-2.
Michigan’s most common mortgage complaint is about loan modifications, collection and foreclosure
Michiganders have sent 11,686 mortgage complaints to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau since 2012. The most common were about loan modifications, collection and foreclosure (3,598), trouble during the payment process (2,703), and loan servicing, payments or escrow (2,011).
- Oct. 9, 2026 Mortgage Center Escrow, taxes or insurance Closed with explanation
- Oct. 7, 2026 Paramount Residential Mortgage Group Struggling to pay: foreclosure Closed with explanation
- Oct. 5, 2026 EverBank Struggling to pay: trouble fixing a problem with a modification, forbearance or foreclosure In progress
- Oct. 2, 2026 Ocwen / Onity Group Trouble fixing a problem with the loan Closed with explanation
- Oct. 2, 2026 LoanCare Loan sold or transferred to another company Closed with explanation
- Sept. 30, 2026 Mortgage Research Center Escrow, taxes or insurance Closed with explanation
- Sept. 30, 2026 Fifth Third Bank Struggling to pay: trouble fixing a problem with a modification, forbearance or foreclosure In progress
- Sept. 30, 2026 Rocket Mortgage Payment process Closed with explanation
- Sept. 29, 2026 Wells Fargo Struggling to pay: foreclosure In progress
- Sept. 29, 2026 Rocket Mortgage Loan sold or transferred to another company In progress
The ten most recent Michigan complaints about paying a mortgage or getting help with one, not about getting a new loan, newest first, from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s public complaint record as of Oct. 14, 2026. Complaints that name a credit reporting company are left out. The bureau doesn’t check what each person reports. See all Michigan mortgage complaints at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau →
What to watch before the next edition
All three take effect on Jan. 1, 2027.
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Jan. 1, 2027
Work rules for the Healthy Michigan Plan
Some adults 19 to 64 on the Healthy Michigan Plan, the state’s Medicaid coverage for low-income adults, must work, go to school, volunteer or join a work program, or qualify for an exemption, to keep their coverage. One way to meet the rule is to earn at least $580 in a month.
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Healthy Michigan Plan
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Jan. 1, 2027
The minimum wage rises again
Michigan’s minimum wage rises from $13.73 to $15.00 an hour under the 2025 law.
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Jan. 1, 2027
A new charge on DTE Gas bills
An infrastructure surcharge approved in DTE Gas’ September rate case adds 68 cents a month, or 0.77%, for a typical home.
Where Michigan ranks highest and lowest
| Measure | Michigan | U.S. | Rank | Latest data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Distress Index score 5th highest · Aug. 2026 | 92 | 5th highest | Aug. 2026 | |
| Unemployment rate, three-month average Tied for 5th highest · June–August 2026 | 5.0% U.S. 4.1% | 4.1% | Tied for 5th highest | June–August 2026 |
| Homes lived in by their owners Tied for 3rd highest · 2024* | 73.2% U.S. 65.2% | 65.2% | Tied for 3rd highest | 2024* |
| Auto loan balances 90+ days late Tied for 6th highest · End of 2025 | 6.3% U.S. 5.2% | 5.2% | Tied for 6th highest | End of 2025 |
| Renters paying half or more of income on housing 8th highest · 2024 | 26.8% U.S. 26.1% | 26.1% | 8th highest | 2024 |
| People getting SNAP food benefits 9th highest · June 2026 | 13.1% U.S. 10.7% | 10.7% | 9th highest | June 2026 |
| Government benefits as a share of income 11th highest · 2024 | 21.8% U.S. 18.3% | 18.3% | 11th highest | 2024 |
| Residents in poverty Tied for 11th highest · 2024 | 13.4% U.S. 12.1% | 12.1% | Tied for 11th highest | 2024 |
| Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 13th highest · 2025 | 219.6 U.S. 167.1 | 167.1 | 13th highest | 2025 |
| Children in poverty 14th highest · 2024 | 17.7% U.S. 15.5% | 15.5% | 14th highest | 2024 |
| Residents without health insurance 7th lowest · 2024* | 4.9% U.S. 8.4% | 8.4% | 7th lowest | 2024* |
| Household debt per person with a credit report 9th lowest · End of 2025 | $48,050 U.S. $63,200 | $63,200 | 9th lowest | End of 2025 |
| Income per person 11th lowest · 2024 | $63,690 U.S. $73,204 | $73,204 | 11th lowest | 2024 |
| Median household income 13th lowest · 2024 | $72,336 U.S. $81,604 | $81,604 | 13th lowest | 2024 |
| Mortgages with less than 10% equity 14th lowest · Second quarter of 2026 | 2.9% U.S. 4.7% | 4.7% | 14th lowest | Second quarter of 2026 |
“Highest” and “lowest” mean among the 50 states and D.C. * Census five-year survey, 2020 to 2024. Auto loan balances: Federal Reserve Bank of New York, counting dollars, not people. Sources for each measure are in Sources and method. Download this table: CSV.
Questions about Michigan
What is the poorest county in Michigan?
Lake County, in the western Lower Peninsula. In 2024, 24.2% of its residents lived in poverty, the highest share of Michigan’s 83 counties, and its typical household earned $48,557 (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). Clare County’s typical household earned less, $48,238, the lowest in the state. On our County Distress Index, Wayne County, home to Detroit, is the most distressed.
What is the richest county in Michigan?
Livingston County, between Detroit and Lansing, has the highest typical household income in Michigan, $101,995 in 2024, and the lowest poverty rate, 5.4% (U.S. Census Bureau). Oakland County, northwest of Detroit, is next on income, at $99,070. Both rank among Michigan’s least distressed counties.
Is it expensive to live in Michigan?
Not for housing, by national standards. The median Michigan rent, $1,129 a month, is the 20th lowest of the 50 states and D.C. (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 to 2024), though a slightly larger share of Michigan renters than U.S. renters pay half their income for housing. We don’t measure the prices of food and other goods, home prices, property taxes or utility bills, so we don’t rank the overall cost of living.
What salary is needed to live comfortably in Michigan?
We don’t measure “comfortable.” MIT’s Living Wage Calculator estimates the minimum to cover basic costs in Michigan: $45,914 a year before taxes for a single adult with no children, and $107,165 for two working parents with two children (2025 dollars). Michigan’s typical household earned $72,336 in 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau). A household’s income can come from more than one earner, so it isn’t the same as one person’s salary.
What is Michigan’s unemployment rate?
It was 5.0% in August 2026, the 5th highest rate of the 50 states and D.C., against 4.1% for the U.S. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Michigan’s rate has been above the nation’s in every month with figures since May 2021.
What is the poverty line in Michigan?
The 2026 federal poverty guideline in Michigan is $15,960 a year for one person and $33,000 for a family of four, the same as in every state but Alaska and Hawaii (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).
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State Distress Index
Michigan
5thmost distressed state
of the 50 states and D.C.
More distressed than 92% of the other states and D.C.
Michigan is the 5th most distressed of the 50 states and D.C. on the State Distress Index, American Default Research’s measure of household financial distress. Its unemployment rate, 5.0% in August 2026, was the 5th highest of the 50 states and D.C. and has been above the U.S. rate every month with figures since May 2021 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Yet Michiganders owed less than people in most states: $48,050 per person with a credit report at the end of 2025, against $63,200 nationwide (Federal Reserve Bank of New York). Michigan’s poverty rate has been above the nation’s every year since 2006 (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates).
Questions, interviews or a custom cut of the data: press@americandefault.org
Sources and method
We gather the data, run the numbers and research each state ourselves.
This edition: October 2026 · Next edition expected March 2027
- Late payments, collections, credit scoresFederal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Consumer Credit Explorerearly 2025 and end of 2019
- Household debt and dollars behindFederal Reserve Bank of New York, Consumer Credit Panel / Equifaxend of 2019 and end of 2025
- Mortgages with little or no equityFederal Housing Finance Agency, National Mortgage Databasesecond quarter of 2026
- Mortgages 30 to 89 days late; mortgage complaints; medical debts on credit reportsConsumer Financial Protection Bureau: Mortgage Performance Trends; complaint database; Recent changes in medical collections on consumer credit recordsSept. 2025; Oct. 14, 2026; March 2022 to June 2023
- Bankruptcy filingsU.S. Courts, Table F-22005 and 2018 to 2025
- Unemployment, state, county and nationalU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment StatisticsJan. 1990 to Aug. 2026
- Payroll jobs and labor forceMichigan Center for Data and AnalyticsAug. 2026
- Poverty and incomeCensus Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates1989 to 2024
- Renters paying half or more of income on housingCensus Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year2005 to 2024
- Rent, homeownership, age, disability, health insuranceCensus Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year2020 to 2024
- PopulationCensus Bureau, population estimates and decennial county counts1970; 2000 to 2025
- Income per person and its sourcesBureau of Economic Analysis2024
- SNAPU.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition AdministrationJune 2026
- Michigan job losses, 2000 to 2006Congressional Research Service, RL342972000 to 2006
- Cost of getting byMIT Living Wage Calculator2025 dollars
- Mortgage help fundU.S. Treasury, Homeowner Assistance Fundthrough early 2026
- Foreclosure lawMichigan Compiled Laws, Chapter 32 (foreclosure by advertisement) and 12 CFR 1024.41as of 2026
- Poverty guidelineU.S. Department of Health and Human Services2026
- Housing counselorsU.S. Department of Housing and Urban DevelopmentOctober 2026
- What changed and what to watchMichigan Public, Michigan Public Service Commission, Office of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Michigan Labor and Economic Opportunity department, Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute; each item links the page it was read on (see what changed)Jan. 2026 to Jan. 2027
- County photorossograph, via Wikimedia Commons2019
The score has four equal parts: late payments; collections and bankruptcy; jobs; and renters’ housing costs. Each measure is ranked against the 50 states and D.C., and the score is the share of the other 50 that Michigan is more distressed than. The full method →
We write with AI tools, and Ross Kilburn checks and reviews every page before it's published.
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Thanks, that helps.