SNAP Enrollment
The percentage of individuals enrolled in SNAP has remained relatively stable. In 2023, 11.4% of households in Lenawee County received food stamps/SNAP benefits, which is 0.8% greater than the rate in 2019 (Figure 12) (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019-2023f). Despite the slight variance over time, Lenawee County’s SNAP benefits enrollment estimates have fluctuated more than in […]
Food insecurity
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), food insecurity is a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food (Rabbitt, Hales, & Reed-Jones, 2025). Food insecurity is a spectrum, and people may experience it intermittently, depending on their financial situation. Experiencing economic hardships not only affects people in […]
Industry Employment
Michigan’s overall employment levels have been growing at a modest pace in the past two years. When it comes to employment, education, and health services, growth is expected to slow due to cuts to federal funding for Medicaid and other essential programs (Burton et al., 2025). Michigan’s manufacturing and retail trade sectors are expected to […]
Unemployment
The closure of Siena Heights University may not cause a major shift in the county’s overall unemployment rate, which has stayed relatively stable in recent years (a 0.7% increase from 2019 to 2023) (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019-2023e). However, the loss of a long-standing educational institute may displace workers and reduce economic activity. Despite a slight […]
Home prices
Residents, city leaders, and county leaders are aware of the state of housing and are concerned about the lack of quality and affordable housing options throughout Lenawee County, particularly in the south and southwest areas. In a survey conducted by Housing Lenawee in 2023, 100% of respondents representing county-, city-, village-, and township-level professionals indicated […]
Affordable rent
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), individuals should spend no more than 30% of their income on housing. In 2023, half (50%) of renters in the U.S. spent 30% or more of their income on rent (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019-2023c). This metric is a key indicator that determines a person’s […]
Housing supply
According to the State of Michigan’s Housing Needs Assessment, an “adequate” housing supply ideally serves a range of households with a variety of housing type options, such as single-family homes for sale or apartments for rent (2025). In 2020, there were 43,577 housing units in Lenawee County (HR&A Advisors, 2025). Of the 38,581 occupied units, […]
Homelessness
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s report, The 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress: Point In Time Count, shares that nearly all populations reached record levels of homelessness among people in families with children, individuals, individuals with chronic patterns of homelessness, people staying in unsheltered locations, people staying in sheltered locations, […]
Basic needs
A “household survival budget” is a way to measure what the estimated minimum cost a household would pay in today’s economy to make ends meet. This measure is used to determine which households are below or above the ALICE threshold. While this measure uses the best available data to calculate its estimates, it is important […]
Income gap
Household income estimates are used by the U.S. Census Bureau to determine the economic status of families in the U.S. (Income and earnings, 2025). These estimates are typically adjusted to account for inflation. The variables used to measure household income include: – earnings in wages or salary, interest, dividends, or net rental income – social […]