Even wealthy Oakland County can’t dodge Michigan’s economic woes

By: Rick Haglund

Outlets: Michigan Advance

Published: May 25, 2026

Words: 874

Last Updated: 1 month, 2 weeks ago

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Oakland County, long a superstar economic performer and among the wealthiest big counties in the nation, is slipping, another worrisome indicator of Michigan’s sinking competitiveness.

The suburban Detroit county’s economic fundamentals are still enviable. Oakland boasts a highly educated workforce, good schools, hundreds of thousands of high-paying jobs and low child poverty. It annually churns out nearly a quarter of Michigan’s goods and services.

But the county has recently been struggling to hang on to …

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