This shrinking gap between the highest-performing county and the lowest-performing county is due to improvements in the at-risk counties. The EVI range declined from 16.55 in 2024 to 16.50 in 2025 and then to 15.69 in 2026. The lower boundary of the index moved from -7.63 in 2024 to -6.86 in 2026, while the upper boundary hardly changed (from 8.92 in 2024 to 8.83 in 2026). The increasing lower boundary of the index reflects overall improving conditions among Michigan’s lowest-performing counties. Over the three EVI releases, the number of at-risk and strained counties has decreased from 32 to 26. Correspondingly, the number of stable and competitive counties has increased from 18 to 25. This suggests that conditions improved for most of Michigan’s 83 counties between 2023 and 2024.
On average, across all counties in Michigan, the prime-age employment ratio (PAER) rose by 1 percent. This increase was influenced most by gains in the strained, transitional, and stable counties. The counties in these groups experienced mostly positive changes in this indicator, with only a couple of counties experiencing negative changes. The top three counties showing the largest gains in PAER were Schoolcraft, Gogebic, and Benzie, all of which increased by 4 percent. The counties that had the largest declines in PAER included Luce, Oscoda, and Leelanau, which decreased by 4 percent, 2 percent, and 1 percent, respectively.
The proportion of the population holding at least an associate degree increased by 1 percent for most counties, regardless of classification. In looking at relative performance, no county or classification group experienced a notable difference compared to the whole group.
Unemployment increases, household income goes both ways
Median household income increased by $101 (adjusted to 2025 dollars) on average for each county, but there are notable differences in this indicator depending on classification group. The competitive counties increased by $631 on average. Stable counties decreased by $500, and transitional and strained counties increased by $383 and $262, respectively. At-risk counties saw their median household income fall by the largest amount, with a decrease of $932. Analysis of the relative performance reveals that stable counties are retracting in this measure, while transitional and strained counties are improving. At-risk counties, on the other hand, are slipping.
The unemployment rate is increasing on average by 0.8 percent overall, but the impact is disproportionately disadvantaging lower-performing counties. Competitive and stable counties both saw their unemployment rates increase the least, by 0.6 percent, and at-risk counties the most, by 1.2 percent. The changes in relative performance of each classification indicate slight improvements in stable and transitional counties and a slight regression among competitive counties. At-risk counties overall had little change in this measure, but a lot of variation exists among these counties.2 This suggests that the gap between some at-risk counties and the rest might be widening for this indicator.
The counties experiencing the smallest unemployment-rate increases are Lake, Montmorency, Emmet, Cheboygan, Arenac, and Kalkaska Counties. Lake County saw its unemployment rate fall by 0.3 percent, while the others’ unemployment rates remained unchanged from last year. The four counties with the largest unemployment-rate increases were Oscoda, Luce, Iron, and Osceola; they increased by 3.0, 2.0, 1.9, and 1.9 percent, respectively.
Which counties improved the most?
Eight counties (Ingham, Marquette, Kalkaska, Saginaw, Manistee, Schoolcraft, Ogemaw, and Mackinac) improved their overall performance and moved up one classification tier, reflecting incremental gains across multiple indicators. Each of these counties was positioned just below the advancement threshold in 2025, but in 2026 they exceeded the required cutoff to move into the next-higher classification group.
Five counties (Keweenaw, Mecosta, Crawford, Montmorency, and Alcona) improved their standing primarily due to substantial gains in their three-year average annual population growth rates. In the 2025 EVI, this indicator for each of these counties was either near zero or negative; in the 2026 release, it approached or exceeded 1 percent. This shift merely reflects the changing years included in the rolling average: The 2025 calculation incorporated a sharply negative growth rate from 2021, which depressed the average. The year 2021 drops out of the 2026 calculation, which in its place includes a strong 2024 growth rate, raising the three-year average. In fact, three of these counties ranked among the top five statewide for annual growth in 2024, and all five ranked within the top fifteen. Because these counties have relatively small populations, even modest numerical changes can translate into comparatively large growth rates.
Iron County’s relegation to the strained classification is also tied to changes in its three-year average annual population growth rate indicator. A strong annual growth rate (4.3 percent) in 2021 elevated the county’s three-year average, despite negligible growth in 2022 and 2023. But in the 2026 EVI, the rolling average excluded the unusually high 2021 rate and incorporated another minimal growth year (2024), leading to a sharp decline in the three-year average and a reclassification to the strained category.
Notes:
1. Each county’s indicators are compared relatively against all of Michigan’s counties. Each county has an equal weight. See the methodology section in the 2024 release for more information.
2. For example, Lake County decreased its unemployment rate by 0.3 percent, which significantly improved its relative performance compared to last year. However, Luce County experienced an increase of 2.0 percent, significantly worsening its relative performance compared to last year.
