Baraga County, Michigan Eviction Risk: Low

Baraga County sits in Michigan's Upper Peninsula with a population of roughly 4,700 and an eviction risk score of 3/10 (Low) - placing it 49th of 83 Michigan counties. That ranking means 48 counties across the state carry higher risk, and 34 are less risky, putting Baraga solidly in the middle third. For landlords operating in this remote lakeshore corridor, the combination of low average rents and a contained renter pool creates a different calculus than you find in the Lower Peninsula's urban markets.

The average asking rent in Baraga County is $567 per month, among the lowest in the state, and renters here spend an average of 22.6% of their income on housing - below the federal 30% distress threshold. That said, 15.3% of the population lives below the poverty line, a figure that deserves attention: when a tenant's income is already thin, even a modest shortfall can tip into a nonpayment situation quickly. About 33.8% of households rent rather than own, a renter share that is moderate by Michigan standards but concentrated in the county's two main population centers. The largest community, the city of Baraga (population 1,939), scores 2.9/10. L'Anse (population 1,790) scores 3.2/10 and is the single riskiest jurisdiction in the county. Michigamme, though small at 229 residents, carries the county's peak score of 3.4/10 and warrants a closer look for landlords with property there. On the lower end, Covington scores 2.4/10 and Skanee scores 2.5/10, reflecting very limited rental activity and historically low filing rates.

Michigan's eviction framework, governed by MCL § 554.601 et seq., is relatively landlord-accessible compared to many states. A nonpayment case requires only a 7-day notice under MCL 600.5714 before filing. Court filing fees run $45 to $150 depending on the court; a sheriff lockout adds $50 to $150; and attorney fees for an uncontested case typically range from $500 to $2,500. An uncontested eviction can resolve in 21 to 45 days; contested cases stretch to 45 to 120 days. Michigan does not require just cause for termination and state law preempts any local rent control ordinance, so Baraga County landlords face no additional municipal layer on top of state rules. Source of income is not a protected class under Michigan fair housing law, which affects Section 8 screening decisions. The retaliation statute at MCL § 600.5720 and the habitability statute at MCL § 554.139 are the two provisions most frequently cited in contested proceedings here - knowing both reduces exposure significantly.

Scores for Baraga County's 7 tracked localities range from a low of 2.4/10 (Covington) to a high of 3.4/10 (Michigamme), with the county average sitting at 3/10 - consistent with the statewide pattern for rural Upper Peninsula counties where low rental volumes keep eviction filing rates structurally low.