Montmorency County, Michigan Eviction Risk: Low

Montmorency County sits in the northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan with a total population of 3,152 spread across four tracked communities. The county carries a 3.1/10 Low eviction risk score, placing it 27th of 83 Michigan counties - meaning 26 counties are riskier for landlords and 56 are less risky. That puts Montmorency in the higher-risk third of the state, which matters when you consider the local economic backdrop: average rent of $671 per month, a rent burden rate of 41%, and a poverty rate of 22.8%. When renters are spending a large share of income on housing in a low-wage rural market, the structural conditions for payment disruptions and eventual eviction filings are real - even where aggregate risk scores stay low.

Within the county, Lewiston carries the highest individual score at 3.4/10 and the largest rental population at 1,201 residents. Atlanta, the county seat, comes in at 3.1/10 with 758 residents. Hillman and Canada Creek Ranch both score 2.9/10 - the county floor. The spread from 2.9 to 3.4 is narrow, which reflects a fairly uniform rural rental market rather than concentrated pockets of distress. Landlords active in Lewiston should weigh its higher score against the broader county context before making portfolio decisions.

Michigan landlord-tenant law governs all four communities under MCL § 554.601 et seq. Nonpayment of rent triggers a 7-day notice under MCL 600.5714, while material lease violations and no-cause month-to-month terminations each require a 30-day notice under MCL 554.134. Once filed, an uncontested eviction typically resolves in 21 to 45 days; contested cases can run 45 to 120 days. Court filing fees range from $45 to $150, sheriff lockout fees from $50 to $150, and attorney fees from $500 to $2,500 depending on case complexity. Michigan does not require just cause for eviction and state law preempts any local rent control ordinance, so Montmorency County communities cannot impose rent caps independently. Tenant protections for source-of-income discrimination are also absent at the state level. The Michigan Department of Civil Rights handles fair housing complaints, and landlords facing retaliation claims should be aware of MCL § 600.5720. Habitability obligations are codified at MCL § 554.139, requiring landlords to maintain premises in a fit and habitable condition - a threshold that applies regardless of rent level or lease length.

With only 26.5% of residents renting and a small total population of 3,152, Montmorency County has a thin rental market; a handful of vacancies or distressed properties can shift local conditions quickly, and the 41% average rent burden signals limited financial cushion across that renter base.