ANN ARBOR, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The University of Michigan’s Poverty Solutions has rolled out its latest Michigan Poverty & Well-being Map, offering a peek into the woes of everyday Michiganders who are suffering under Democratic control of the state.

The university’s shiny new data collection, hot off the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey press, serves up a buffet of despair for those curious about just how badly some folks are faring in the Great Lakes State.

Unveiling the data.

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Diving into the numbers reveals that 13% of Michiganders are huddled beneath the federal poverty line, a figure barely budging from last year. Meanwhile, a notable 17.6% of Michigan kids are stuck in households where pennies are pinched tighter than ever.

And if you thought housing costs were just a mild inconvenience, think again. Over 31% of Michiganders are shelling out more than a third of their income just to keep a roof over their heads. Affordable housing? That looks like more of a pipe dream in the Mitten State.

Expert insights.

According to Luke Shaefer, the Poverty Solutions faculty director and self-proclaimed guru of Michigan misery, these stats are just the tip of the iceberg. “The poverty rate alone doesn’t give us a complete story of how many people are facing economic instability and hardship,” he says. “The Michigan Poverty & Well-being Map looks at multiple metrics to give us a more holistic idea of how Michiganders are doing.”

Proposals for change.

Amanda Nothaft, Director of Data and Evaluation at Poverty Solutions, says, “The disparities highlighted by the map can inform how state and local officials address these issues and where to invest resources to support their residents, their region and the state.”

She suggests that throwing money at education might be a good start, noting that more preschool and vocational training could pull Michigan out of this economic nosedive.

Areas of need.

The data also highlights other areas of need, including food insecurity, affordable housing, child poverty, child care, unemployment, and income.

Regional breakdown.

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The map breaks up the state into regions and the data addresses the challenges of each. In Northwest Michigan, there is a tight housing market; northeast Michigan faces high child poverty; in

Metro Detroit, high housing costs are a burden; the Upper Peninsula faces cost of living challenges and in Southeast Michigan, racial disparities underlie a strong economic position for their residents.

Voter concerns.

Recently, we brought you a poll from Mitchell–MIRS on the issues that Michigan voters care about. The economy/inflation/cost of living was the top concern of 34% of the voters.

Additionally, a May 2024 Detroit Regional Chamber’s Michigan Voter Poll reported 61% of respondents see the economy as weakening or in a recession and 52% believe the state’s economy is on the wrong track.