Mason County, Michigan
Above the national median for unemployment (average of monthly rates) — and 11.5× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Loving County, TX — 1%).
Main Findings
Mason County, Michigan is more distressed than 38% of U.S. counties on the County Distress Index. Mason sits near the national median across major distress indicators. Its highest-scoring domain is Labor and its lowest is Delinquency.
- 57th of 83 counties in Michigan on the County Distress Index — 38 · low-moderate county distress, more distressed than 38% of U.S. counties.
- 6% 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 94th percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (monthly rates averaged, September 2025 to August 2026; no figures published for October 2025).
- Severe rent burden (50%+) at 18% — national median 18%, ranked at the 52nd percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024).
- Disability rate at 17% — national median 16%, ranked at the 59th percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024).
- Default & Legal domain score 29 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
Neighbors span three CDI score labels. The 32-point drop to Oceana County marks where the Michigan distress corridor ends.
Mason County has a low-moderate county distress score. The CDI reading is a county comparison, separate from national ADI bands.
The CDI gives this county a low-moderate county distress label. The label comes from the score, while the rank compares the county with the current national cross-section. Its highest-scoring domain is Labor.
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 Mason County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Mason County's value shown alongside MI's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Mason | MI median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 26 · Rank 2,413 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 4% | 4% | 5% | 26th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 4% | 5% | 5% | 22nd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 19% | 19% | 23% | 29th | Equifax data retrieved via FRED (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 29 · Rank 2,459 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 16% | 20% | 23% | 23rd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 96 | 114 | 126 | 34th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 48 · Rank 1,619 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 20% | 21% | 21% | 44th | 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 | 18% | 20% | 18% | 52nd | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Labor — domain score 70 · Rank 741 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) | 20% | 22% | 21% | 47th | 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) | 6% | 5% | 4% | 94th | 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 43 · Rank 1,847 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 16% | 17% | 17% | 43rd | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 17% | 17% | 16% | 59th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 12% | 13% | 13% | 38th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 5% | 5% | 8% | 22nd | 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 Mason County data.
Draft wire copy 122-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
LUDINGTON, Mich. — Mason County is more distressed than 38% of U.S. counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
Mason scores 38 out of 100, which means it is more distressed than 38% of U.S. counties; its score label is low-moderate county distress. Within Michigan, Mason ranks 57th 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, finds Mason sitting near the national median across major distress indicators, with no single domain emerging as a clear driver.
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 Mason County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Mason County's distress score?
How does Mason County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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