Iron County, Michigan
Above the national median for unemployment (average of monthly rates) — and 13.8× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Loving County, TX — 1%).
Main Findings
Iron County, Michigan is more distressed than 55% of U.S. counties on the County Distress Index. The driver: 7% of the labor force was unemployed on average from September 2025 to August 2026 — above the national median of 4%. Its highest-scoring domain is Labor and its lowest is Delinquency.
- 27th of 83 counties in Michigan on the County Distress Index — 55 · moderate county distress, more distressed than 55% of U.S. counties.
- 7% of the labor force was unemployed on average from September 2025 to August 2026 (U.S. median 4%). Unemployment (average of monthly rates) at the 95th percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (monthly rates averaged, September 2025 to August 2026; no figures published for October 2025).
- Disability rate at 23% — national median 16%, ranked at the 92nd percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024).
- Rent-to-income ratio at 25% — national median 21%, ranked at the 85th percentile. Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents (FY2027); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024).
- Bankruptcy filing rate at 136 — national median 126, ranked at the 54th percentile. Source: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025).
Neighbors span 6 CDI score labels. The 45-point drop to Florence County, WI marks a cross-border distress gradient.
Iron County has a moderate county distress score. The county sits near the middle of the CDI score scale, so the domain mix carries the story.
The CDI gives this county a moderate county distress label. The domain mix matters because the same composite score can come from very different local conditions. Its highest-scoring domain is Labor.
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024), Iron County's uninsured rate indicator is at the 19th percentile. American Default Research's CDI places every other indicator in the Safety Net & Buffer domain at or above the 58th percentile. The gap stands out against disability rate and median household income. Worth a call to the source agency or a local subject-matter contact in Crystal Falls.
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Iron County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Iron County's value shown alongside MI's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Iron | MI median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 11 · Rank 2,948 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 1% | 4% | 5% | 5th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 3% | 5% | 5% | 12th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 16% | 19% | 23% | 17th | Equifax data retrieved via FRED (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 52 · Rank 1,435 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 23% | 20% | 23% | 50th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 136 | 114 | 126 | 54th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 59 · Rank 1,109 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 25% | 21% | 21% | 85th | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents (FY2027); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 15% | 20% | 18% | 33rd | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Labor — domain score 81 · Rank 404 of 3,144 | |||||
| Adults 25-54 not working Share of adults aged 25 to 54 without a job, leaving out residents of prisons and other institutions (service members count as working) | 24% | 22% | 21% | 68th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Unemployment (average of monthly rates) Share of labor force unemployed, averaged over the monthly rates published for September 2025 to August 2026 (no figures published for October 2025) | 7% | 5% | 4% | 95th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (monthly rates averaged, September 2025 to August 2026; no figures published for October 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 64 · Rank 1,016 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 20% | 17% | 17% | 65th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 23% | 17% | 16% | 92nd | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 14% | 13% | 13% | 58th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 5% | 5% | 8% | 19th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index scores household financial distress from 0 to 100 for all 3,144 U.S. counties. A county's score is the share of U.S. counties it is more distressed than. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the five domains are averaged, and that average is ranked against every other county to give the score.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), Equifax data retrieved via FRED (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2024 to 2027 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Iron County data.
Draft wire copy 133-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
CRYSTAL FALLS, Mich. — Iron County is more distressed than 55% of U.S. counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
Iron scores 55 out of 100, which means it is more distressed than 55% of U.S. counties; its score label is moderate county distress. Within Michigan, Iron ranks 27th of 83 counties.
The index, which draws on 14 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies labor as the primary driver in Iron. 7% of the labor force was unemployed on average from September 2025 to August 2026 — above the national median of 4%.
American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Iron County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Iron County's distress score?
How does Iron County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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