Ontonagon County, Michigan Eviction Risk: Low

Ontonagon County sits at the western tip of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, a sparsely populated stretch of shoreline and forest along Lake Superior with a total population of just 3,021. For landlords operating here, the county's 2.9/10 Low eviction risk score reflects a rental market shaped by modest rents, limited tenant-protection legislation, and a small but stable renter base. At rank 64 of 83 Michigan eviction laws counties, 63 counties carry higher eviction risk scores, placing Ontonagon firmly in the lower-risk third of the state.

Average rent in the county stands at $553 per month, well below Michigan's broader urban markets. Renters represent roughly 19.8% of occupied housing units, a lower share than most Michigan counties, which limits the pool of potential eviction cases but also means vacancy cycles can take longer to fill. Rent burden - the share of renter households spending 30% or more of income on housing - sits at 26.8%, a figure that signals moderate financial stress. Coupled with a 15.3% poverty rate, that burden level is worth watching: households close to the affordability edge are more likely to fall behind on rent following a job loss or unexpected expense, even where rents are low in absolute terms. Scores across the county's 8 tracked cities range from a low of 2.5/10 in Bergland to a high of 3.4/10 in Greenland, a tight band that reflects fairly uniform conditions throughout.

The county seat village of Ontonagon (population 1,355, score 3/10) is the largest community and the practical center of rental activity. Bruce Crossing (score 3.3/10) and Greenland (score 3.4/10) are the two riskiest cities in the county, though even at their ceiling the risk level remains Low by statewide standards. Michigan's eviction framework under MCL § 554.601 et seq. applies uniformly across all 83 counties - there is no local rent control here, and the state explicitly preempts any municipality from enacting it. A nonpayment-of-rent notice requires just 7 days under MCL 600.5714, and an uncontested eviction typically resolves in 21 to 45 days. Court filing fees range from $45 to $150, with sheriff lockout fees adding another $50 to $150. Contested proceedings stretch to 45 to 120 days and can bring attorney costs of $500 to $2,500 - the primary financial exposure landlords face when a tenant disputes the action. There is no just-cause eviction requirement and no source-of-income protection under Michigan state law, which gives landlords relatively broad discretion in tenant selection and lease termination compared to higher-risk jurisdictions.

Ontonagon County's low renter share (19.8%) and below-average rents ($553/month) keep eviction volume low, but the 15.3% poverty rate and 26.8% rent burden mean a meaningful share of renters are financially marginal - worth factoring into tenant screening and lease terms.