Van Buren County, Michigan
Above the national median for unemployment (average of monthly rates) — and 9.6× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Loving County, TX — 1%).
Main Findings
Van Buren County, Michigan is more distressed than 50% of U.S. counties on the County Distress Index. The driver: 5% 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.
- 37th of 83 counties in Michigan on the County Distress Index — 50 · moderate county distress, more distressed than 50% of U.S. counties.
- 5% 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 82nd 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 22% — national median 18%, ranked at the 73rd percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024).
- Debt in collections at 23% — national median 23%, ranked at the 51st percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Child poverty rate at 18% — national median 17%, ranked at the 58th percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024).
Neighbors span three CDI score labels. The 37-point drop to Allegan County marks where the Michigan distress corridor ends.
Van Buren 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.
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 Van Buren County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Van Buren County's value shown alongside MI's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Van Buren | MI median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 40 · Rank 1,914 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 4% | 4% | 5% | 40th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 5% | 5% | 5% | 39th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 22% | 19% | 23% | 43rd | Equifax data retrieved via FRED (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 48 · Rank 1,650 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 23% | 20% | 23% | 51st | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 116 | 114 | 126 | 44th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 50 · Rank 1,538 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 18% | 21% | 21% | 27th | 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 | 22% | 20% | 18% | 73rd | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Labor — domain score 70 · Rank 735 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) | 22% | 22% | 21% | 59th | 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) | 5% | 5% | 4% | 82nd | 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 1,878 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 18% | 17% | 17% | 58th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 12% | 17% | 16% | 13th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 14% | 13% | 13% | 53rd | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 7% | 5% | 8% | 42nd | 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 Van Buren County data.
Draft wire copy 137-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
PAW PAW, Mich. — Van Buren County is more distressed than 50% of U.S. counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
Van Buren scores 50 out of 100, which means it is more distressed than 50% of U.S. counties; its score label is moderate county distress. Within Michigan, Van Buren ranks 37th 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 Van Buren. 5% 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 Van Buren County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Van Buren County's distress score?
How does Van Buren County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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