Allegan County

West Michigan · 122K people · $5B GDP

Timeline
2026Present
NOW
EVENT HORIZON
2020202620302035204020452050
stable risk tierMetro(RUCC 2)

Future Path

Pick a future path. Every number on this page updates with the impacts and the ranked actions for that path.

Disruption Profile

Baseline + Probable

High — Active disruption underway in key sectors

High — Median household income $85K (+29.2% vs state median) -- well above state average, providing economic cushion.

Moderate — Building pressure in key sectors

Moderate — Building pressure in key sectors

Moderate — AI Exposure Index: 28/100 -- lower vulnerability to AI-driven workforce disruption.

Moderate — Moderate exposure across select industries

Moderate — Moderate exposure across select industries

Minimal — Limited disruption signal

Minimal — Limited disruption signal

Allegan County vs Michigan Average

Allegan County exceeds Michigan average on 1/9 dimensions. Highest divergence: Social Trust (-22)

Click a dimension label to explore

Allegan Michigan US Avg

Projected impact · 2026

Stakes for Allegan County

Probable cone · 1.00x

With 58K jobs in Allegan County and AI exposure at 28/100, here is what the model projects through 2031 under the probable cone (default 5-year horizon — scrub the timeline to extend).

Model: at-risk = workforce × (AI exposure ÷ 100) × ((year − 2020) ÷ 10, capped 0-1) × cone multiplier. Each STEEPE-point improvement preserves ~1% of at-risk jobs. The same formula runs backwards (retrodiction) and forwards (projection), so scrubbing pre-2026 shows what the model says was already exposed by that year.

See per-dimension breakdown

How 10 actions distribute across 5 dimensions, plus near-term vs medium-term lists.

If Allegan County implements all 10 recommended actions, the model projects these dimensional improvements.

Education Value
45+15 pts
Close the Skills Gap with AI-Ready Credentials /Sector-Aligned K-12 + Community College Pipeline /Registered Apprenticeship Expansion: Manufacturing (pharma/plastics)
AI > AGI > ASI
46+14 pts
Universal Broadband for AI Economy Participation /Anchor Employer AI Co-Investment Compact /Rural Broadband for AI Economy Participation
Economic Disruption
60+13 pts
Reduce Manufacturing (pharma/plastics) Concentration Risk /Blueberry Belt Precision Agriculture Program
Social Trust
45+4 pts
Pre-Positioned Displaced Worker Rapid Response
Ecological Stress
68+4 pts
Climate Resilience Infrastructure Investment
Near-term (1-3 yr)+37 pts

7 actions within local control

  • - Reduce Manufacturing (pharma/plastics) Concentration Risk
  • - Close the Skills Gap with AI-Ready Credentials
  • - Sector-Aligned K-12 + Community College Pipeline
  • - Anchor Employer AI Co-Investment Compact
  • - Registered Apprenticeship Expansion: Manufacturing (pharma/plastics)
  • - Pre-Positioned Displaced Worker Rapid Response
  • - Blueberry Belt Precision Agriculture Program
Medium-term (3-7 yr)+13 pts

3 actions requiring partnerships or advocacy

  • - Universal Broadband for AI Economy Participation
  • - Climate Resilience Infrastructure Investment
  • - Rural Broadband for AI Economy Participation

Action Plan

Probable path

Top recommendations for Allegan County, ranked by estimated impact. 10 total · +50 pts combined.

Who Can Act

Of 10 recommended actions for Allegan County, 8 are within direct control. Tap a sphere to see the actions and what each one does.

Acting on the 8 local levers alone (+41 STEEPE pts) is the fastest path to shifting the probable→preferred future cone for this county.

Top Employers — Allegan County

The 5 largest employers shaping the local labor market. Tap any row for the public-data profile and AI-exposure assessment.

Combined headcount across profiled employers: 11K globally · 4 not yet profiled

Economic Development Authority

Lakeshore Advantage + Southwest Michigan First

Website

Target Sectors

Agriculture & Food ProcessingPharmaceuticalPlastics & PackagingTourism

Active Programs

  • +SURGE incubator access (Holland, shared with Ottawa)
  • +SWMF First Up / First Path / First 50 (workforce)
  • +SWMF Leadership Greater Kalamazoo
  • +Sustainable Business Collaborative

Recent Wins

Profielnorm USA (Plainwell)
$7.5M32 jobs2024
Walinga USA agricultural equipment (Wayland)
31 jobs2023

Supporting detail

Open any section to dig into the underlying data.

Layoff history (WARN)

Federal layoff filings on the timeline

WARN Act Notices (2020-2026)

Notices

5

Workers

310

Layoff Rate

0.53%

of total employment

2025

60

Workers Affected by Year

55
2020
50
2021
0
2022
80
2023
65
2024
60
2025
0
2026

By Sector

Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
145 (47%)
Healthcare
60 (19%)
Healthcare Food Service
55 (18%)
Recycling/Manufacturing
50 (16%)

Recent Notices

Beacon Health (Ascension)

Allegan · Healthcare

AI-driven administrative consolidation

60

Mar 2025

Perrigo Company

Allegan · Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

Continued restructuring, site consolidation

65

Apr 2024

Perrigo Company

Allegan · Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

Corporate restructuring post-acquisition

80

Jul 2023

Padnos (scrap recycling)

Allegan · Recycling/Manufacturing

Commodity price volatility + labor shortage

50

Jul 2021

Compass Group/Morrison Healthcare

Allegan · Healthcare Food Service

COVID-19 hospital service reduction

55

Apr 2020

Source: Michigan LEO WARN. Federal WARN Act: 60-day notice for mass layoffs (50+ workers) at employers with 100+ employees.

Disruption scenarios

Exponential impact paths driven by the timeline

Exponential Impact Scenarios

Cross-signal alerts

When multiple risk signals converge on this county

Convergence Alerts

highClimate-Economic Nexusstrength 83%
Ecological 68/55Economic 71/50

Ecological stress amplifies economic disruption through insurance costs, infrastructure damage, supply chain disruptions, and forced migration patterns.

Precedent: Hurricane Katrina (2005), Texas winter storm (2021): climate events created multi-year economic disruption in affected regions.

Allegan County: 2 dimensions converging above thresholds simultaneously.

Full economic profile

Demographics, employment, sectors, incentives

EVI: stableBASELINEMetro (RUCC 2)

Housing & Infrastructure

Median Home Value

$312K

Homeownership

88.7%

Median Rent

$1,061

Broadband Access

74.0%

Avg Commute

26.3 min

Labor Force Part.

62.8%

Highest homeownership of all 4 counties. Saugatuck/Douglas lakeshore premium. Severe housing supply shortage limiting growth.

Employment by Sector

Manufacturing (pharma/plastics)21.5%
Agriculture/Forestry8.3%
Retail Trade11.1%
Accommodation/Food (tourism)10.8%
Healthcare & Social11.2%

Population & Talent

Population

122K

Change Since 2020

+1.6%

Median Age

41.3

Modestly positive domestic migration. One of only 11 MI counties with natural increase (births > deaths) in 2024-2025.

State Incentive Programs

Available incentives from LED for business attraction and expansion in Allegan County.

Michigan Business Development Program (MBDP)

Grant

Performance-based grants for creating and retaining high-quality jobs. Michigan's primary incentive for large-scale projects, providing direct grants based on new job creation and capital investment.

Max Benefit

Up to $10M for projects creating 50+ jobs at 150%+ regional wage

Eligibility

Companies creating or retaining qualified new jobs in Michigan. Manufacturing, R&D, technology, and corporate office projects prioritized.

State Essential Services Assessment (SESA) Exemption

Exemption

Exemption from the SESA on eligible personal property for qualified high-tech, manufacturing, and corporate office facilities. Replaces the former personal property tax for qualifying businesses.

Max Benefit

100% exemption from State Essential Services Assessment on qualifying personal property

Eligibility

Qualified businesses with eligible manufacturing personal property, data center equipment, or corporate office technology investments.

PA 198 Industrial Facilities Tax (IFT) Abatement

Exemption

Local property tax abatement on new or replacement industrial facilities. Reduces property taxes by approximately 50% on qualifying improvements for up to 12 years.

Max Benefit

~50% reduction in property taxes on qualifying industrial facility improvements for up to 12 years

Eligibility

Manufacturing, high-technology, and qualifying service facilities. Requires local government approval (county/city/township).

Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF) Job Training Grants

Training

Grants to support customized workforce training for new and expanding businesses. Going PRO Talent Fund provides demand-driven training to fill talent pipeline gaps.

Max Benefit

Up to $3,000 per trainee for classroom training; $1,500 for on-the-job training

Eligibility

Michigan employers providing training in advanced manufacturing, IT, healthcare, and other high-demand sectors. Must create or retain jobs.

SmartZone / LDFA Tax Increment Financing

Exemption

Technology-focused business incubators supported by local tax increment financing. Captures growth in local and state tax revenue within designated zones to fund innovation infrastructure.

Max Benefit

Varies by SmartZone. Captures local + state tax increment to fund incubation, acceleration, and placemaking within zone boundaries

Eligibility

Technology-based companies locating within a designated SmartZone boundary. Must participate in SmartZone programming (SURGE, incubation, etc.).

Metro-adjacent but rural in character. Perrigo HQ provides manufacturing anchor. Lowest poverty rate of all 4 counties. One of only 11 MI counties with natural increase (births > deaths).

Sources

Census ACS 5-Year 2023: Allegan CountyBLS LAUS: Allegan CountyUSDA Rural-Urban Continuum Codes

Grant matches

Federal funding aligned to county levers

Best-Fit Incentive Programs

State programs matched to Allegan County's industry mix, workforce needs, and recommended actions.

Michigan Business Development Program (MBDP)
GrantUp to $10M for projects creating 50+ jobs at 150%+ regional wage
65
  • +Matches manufacturing focus
  • +Matches technology focus
  • +Funds 7 recommended actions

Recommended for: Reduce Manufacturing (pharma/plastics) Concentration Risk, Universal Broadband for AI Economy Participation, Anchor Employer AI Co-Investment Compact

State Essential Services Assessment (SESA) Exemption
Exemption100% exemption from State Essential Services Assessment on qualifying personal property
60
  • +Matches manufacturing focus
  • +Matches technology focus
  • +Funds 3 recommended actions

Recommended for: Universal Broadband for AI Economy Participation, Anchor Employer AI Co-Investment Compact, Rural Broadband for AI Economy Participation

PA 198 Industrial Facilities Tax (IFT) Abatement
Exemption~50% reduction in property taxes on qualifying industrial facility improvements for up to 12 years
60
  • +Matches manufacturing focus
  • +Matches technology focus
  • +Funds 3 recommended actions

Recommended for: Universal Broadband for AI Economy Participation, Anchor Employer AI Co-Investment Compact, Rural Broadband for AI Economy Participation

Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF) Job Training Grants
TrainingUp to $3,000 per trainee for classroom training; $1,500 for on-the-job training
47
  • +Matches manufacturing focus
  • +Funds 4 recommended actions
  • +Workforce training applicable at any scale

Recommended for: Close the Skills Gap with AI-Ready Credentials, Sector-Aligned K-12 + Community College Pipeline, Registered Apprenticeship Expansion: Manufacturing (pharma/plastics)

SmartZone / LDFA Tax Increment Financing
ExemptionVaries by SmartZone. Captures local + state tax increment to fund incubation, acceleration, and placemaking within zone boundaries
45
  • +Matches technology focus
  • +Funds 3 recommended actions

Recommended for: Universal Broadband for AI Economy Participation, Anchor Employer AI Co-Investment Compact, Rural Broadband for AI Economy Participation

Target industries

Sectors prioritized by the county strategy

Sectors aligned with the county’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy and AI impact assessment.

1.Agribusiness & Food Processing

AI mixed

Michigan blueberry and peach capital. Specialty crops cluster including asparagus, wine grapes. USDA research partnerships for climate-resilient agriculture.

2.Tourism & Hospitality

AI mixed

Saugatuck-Douglas arts destination with national recognition. Lake Michigan lakeshore tourism. Craft wineries and farm-to-table experiences.

3.Consumer Health Products

AI headwind

Perrigo Company HQ ($4.7B revenue) -- global leader in store-brand OTC health products. Anchors advanced manufacturing in a rural county.

4.Clean Energy & AgTech

AI tailwind

Agricultural biomass energy potential. Solar farm development on marginal agricultural land. Drone monitoring and precision agriculture technology adoption.

Agricultural economy

Farm-sector dependence and AI exposure

Agricultural Economy

USDA Census of Agriculture 2022

RUCC 4: RuralMajor Ag County

Farms

1,120

Farmland

209K ac

Market Value

$727.7M

Net Farm Income

$175.9M

Top Commodities by Sales

Poultry & eggs$217.1M#1 state#97 US
Milk from cows$163.9M#5 state#75 US
Hogs & pigs$106.3M#2 state#86 US
Grains & oilseeds$97.9M
Nursery, greenhouse, floriculture$48.7M#6 state

Sales Split

Crops 28%Livestock 72%

Top Crops by Acreage

Corn for grain59K ac
Soybeans43K ac
Forage22K ac
Corn for silage13K ac

Livestock Inventory

Layers (egg-laying hens)6,495,609
Pullets1,600,737
Turkeys325,031
Hogs & pigs221,437
Government payments received: $3.5M
Average farm size: 187 acres (nonmetropolitan, rural economy)

Best-case opportunities

What this county wins in the preferred future

Sources

Government, academic, and live data feeds

Census ACS 5-Year 2023: Allegan CountyBLS LAUS: Allegan CountyUSDA Rural-Urban Continuum CodesCensus QuickFacts: Allegan CountyUSDA: Allegan County AgricultureBEA: Allegan County GDP
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