Mackinac County, Michigan Eviction Risk: Low

Mackinac County sits at the northern tip of Michigan's Lower Peninsula and spans into the Upper Peninsula, straddling the Straits of Mackinac. With a total tracked population of 3,127 across three measured communities, this is one of Michigan eviction laws's smallest and most rural counties by rental-market footprint. The county earns an average eviction risk score of 2.9/10 - a Low rating - and ranks 71st out of 83 Michigan counties, meaning 70 counties carry higher eviction risk than Mackinac. That places the county firmly in the lower-risk third of the state.

The rental market here is modest in scale but notable in character. Average rent across the county's tracked cities is $731 per month, well below Michigan's major metro benchmarks. Renters make up 37.4% of occupied housing units - a meaningful share for a rural county, driven partly by the seasonal and tourism-dependent economy around Mackinac Island and the Straits corridor. Rent burden averages 26.6% of household income, which sits below the 30% distress threshold, though a poverty rate of 19.3% signals that financial margin is thin for a substantial portion of households. Landlords operating here face relatively straightforward regulatory terrain, but that poverty rate means nonpayment filings can spike when the seasonal tourism economy softens.

St. Ignace is the county seat and by far the largest rental market, with a population of 2,463 and a score of 2.9/10 - in line with the county average. Mackinac Island, with 561 residents, carries the county's highest individual score at 3/10, reflecting its unusual rental dynamic: a car-free island with a constrained housing supply and heavy reliance on seasonal worker housing. Naubinway, the smallest measured community at 103 residents, scores the lowest at 2.6/10. Under Michigan law (MCL § 554.601 et seq.), landlords in all three communities operate without rent control - Michigan's state preemption statute prohibits local rent caps - and no just-cause eviction requirement applies. A 7-day pay-or-quit notice governs nonpayment cases under MCL 600.5714, and an uncontested eviction can resolve in as few as 21 days. Court filing fees run $45 to $150, with sheriff lockout fees ranging from $50 to $150. Attorney costs for a contested matter can reach $2,500, and a fully contested proceeding may extend 45 to 120 days - a timeline landlords should budget for when screening decisions matter most.

Mackinac County's low eviction risk score reflects a combination of straightforward state-level landlord-tenant law, a small and geographically isolated rental market, and below-threshold rent burden - offset by a notably high poverty rate that warrants careful tenant screening, particularly heading into off-season months when tourism-dependent income drops sharply.