The Economic Map of Michigan:
Upjohn Institute Releases County-by-County Economic Vitality Index
A new index developed by the Upjohn Institute’s Regional team combines seven key measurements to provide a comparative look at the economic vitality of each of Michigan’s 83 counties. The index will be updated annually and with future updates of this index, one can compare county scores across time.
“Since 2020, Michigan has faced many economic shocks, including the pandemic, inflation, workforce shortages, and a rapidly emerging green economy,” said Iryna Lendel, senior director of Upjohn Regional and one of the index’s authors. “While many of the challenges are felt across the state, counties have differing resources and cultures, and their economies are at different stages of development.”
The Economic Vitality Index (EVI) is designed to help government officials and economic development experts understand their community’s unique economic situation so they can better create policies and programs that foster employment, growth, and prosperity.
The EVI is based on the following factors:
- Prime-age employment-to-population ratio (the percent of people aged 25–54 who are employed, relative to the total population in that age group)
- Median household income
- Percent of the employed working in a priority Michigan sector (an area of the economy the state has a relatively high regional gross product)
- Three-year average annual population growth rate
- Property tax revenue
- Percent of adults aged 25 and older with an associate degree or higher
- Unemployment rate
Based on a weighted combination of these factors, the economic vitality of each county is designated as competitive, stable, transitional, strained, or at risk. County level data is also available for each of the individual components of the EVI rating.
In the first publication, six counties were scored as “competitive”: Grand Traverse, Kent, Livingston, Oakland, Ottawa, and Washtenaw.
Twelve counties were rated “at risk”: Alger, Baraga, Chippewa, Clare, Lake, Luce, Mackinac, Montmorency, Ontonagon, Oscoda, Roscommon, and Schoolcraft.
The other counties were classified as transitional (33), strained (20), or stable (12).
“Good data is an essential component in any economic development initiative,” said Lendel.
“The Economic Vitality Index reflects Upjohn Regional’s commitment to helping policymakers develop effective economic solutions that meet the unique needs of their communities.”
Additional economic data is available through Upjohn Regional’s Data Hub – a dashboard of up-to-date measures of labor markets in Southwest Michigan and across the state.
About Upjohn Regional
Upjohn Regional focuses on applied economic research and technical assistance. The group addresses issues in regional economies, economic development, workforce/occupational development, evaluation, public policy development, and economic impact modeling and analysis. The team assists corporate, nonprofit, economic, and workforce development entities, along with all levels of government, in problem resolution and strategic decision-making. In addition to offering a comprehensive set of economic development services, the Upjohn Regional team also provides land use and resource planning, mapping capabilities, and the Regional Datahub.