Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan

Joan and Sanford Weill Hall
Suite 5100
735 South State Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-3091

Data Tools

Michigan Poverty & Well-being Map

This map combines several indicators to provide a snapshot of poverty and well-being across Michigan. Learn more about map indicators and data sources, and download complete data below.

Regional Fact Sheets

East Central Arenac, Bay, Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot, Isabella, Midland, Saginaw	South Central Clinton, Eaton, Ingham	West Allegan, Barry, Ionia, Kent, Lake, Mason, Mecosta, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, Osceola, Ottawa
East Genesee, Huron, Lapeer, Sanilac, Shiawassee, St. Clair, Tuscola	Southeast Hillsdale, Jackson, Lenawee, Livingston, Monroe, Washtenaw	Detroit Metro Macomb, Oakland, Wayne
Northeast Alcona, Alpena, Cheboygan, Crawford, Iosco, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle, Roscommon	Southwest Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, Van Buren
Northwest Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Manistee, Missaukee, Wexford	Upper Peninsula Alger, Baraga, Chippewa, Delta, Dickinson, Gogebic, Houghton, Iron, Keweenaw, Luce, Mackinac, Marquette, Menominee, Ontonagon, Schoolcraft

Statewide

Population 9,965,265
Median Income $ 57,144
Percent Below Poverty Level 12.9%
Under 18 Years Below Poverty Level 17.5%
ALICE 25.1%
With Food Stamp/SNAP Benefits 13.3%
Housing cost burden 27.5%
Without health insurance coverage 7.8%
Single parent households 25.7%

Key

Population

Population is a good way to make sure you’re comparing similarly sized counties in terms of poverty.

Median Income

We use median income (and not average income) to demonstrate the typical income of a household in that county.

Poverty Rate

The percent of the population below the federal poverty line.

Child Poverty Rate

The percent of children under 18 who are in households under the poverty line.

ALICE*

ALICE is an indicator developed by the United Way. It stands for: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. ALICE is a way to get a snapshot of the working poor, a group that’s not captured in the percent below the poverty rate. This indicator is calculated at the household level, not the individual level. See the full United Way project here.

*For a full picture of the percent of people who are financially living on the edge, the percent ALICE and percent below poverty should be added together.

SNAP

SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is the country’s most robust social safety net program. It is one of very few programs that families who apply and qualify are guaranteed to receive. All funding for SNAP comes from the federal government.

Housing Cost Burdened

Defined as paying more than 30% of household income for housing costs (rent or mortgage and utilities).

Without Health Insurance

Working-age individuals, ages 19 to 64, who do not have publicly or privately provided health insurance.

Single-Parent Household

Studies show a strong relationship between the percent of single parent households and a lack of social mobility in a region. This indicator is pulled from the Robert Wood Johnson County Health Rankings.

Data downloads and user guides

>>User guide for the current Michigan Poverty and Well-being Map

>>Download data from the current interactive map, listed by county and for state overall

>>Download historical data from 2017-2020 releases

>>View user guides for historical data (2017, 2018-19, 2020)

Gothic stone arches in the Law Quadrangle

Custom Data Maps

Poverty Solutions may create tailored maps for additional categories of available
data, such as housing, health, and child-focused data. We also are able to
incorporate new sets of data into our existing dataset. Contact us at
povertysolutions@umich.edu.