ALPENA — Northeast Michigan counties face the highest rate of child poverty in the entire state, according to the newest University of Michigan Poverty and Wellbeing Map.

According to the map, about 24% of children across Alpena, Presque Isle, Montmorency, Alcona, Cheboygan, Crawford, Iosco, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Otsego, and Roscommon counties live in poverty.

That’s higher than the state’s overall rate of about 18%.

The University of Michigan map reports childhood poverty rates in Alcona and Montmorency counties each exceeded the regional rate, with Alcona County at about 26% and Montmorency County at 28.5%.

The map considers eight key factors when analyzing each county: Population, median income, poverty rate, childhood poverty rate, the share of the population using the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (also known as food stamps), life expectancy, the rate of single-parent households, and the share of households considered of asset-limited, income-constrained, and employed, also known as ALICE, a measure of the working poor who struggle to make ends meet.

The data shows Northeast Michigan has the state’s lowest median annual income, at $47,903, and the highest percentage of ALICE households, at 31%.

The University of Michigan data shows poverty rates in the region are lowest in the summer and highest in the winter, with some counties experiencing unemployment rates higher than 9% during December and January.

That points to the seasonal nature of the jobs available for residents in Northeast Michigan, said Amanda Nothaft, one of the researchers involved in putting the map together.

“There seems to be a lot of economic vulnerability that stems from the seasonal nature of work,” Nothaft said. “You really see the unemployment cycle through the year, where it peaks in the summer months, with fewer people unemployed, and dips through the winter months.”

According to a community needs assessment conducted by the Northeast Michigan Community Service Agency, Northeast Michigan has been identified as a child care desert, with half of families in the region with subsidized childcare vouchers not utilizing them.

“In addition to getting people working, there is a lack of child care,” Nothaft said. “Even if you invest in the workforce, if both parents can’t work because of a lack of child care, that’s going to act as a drain on how much economic mobility a household can actually achieve.”

The assessment concludes that combating the high rates of unemployment and poverty in Northeast Michigan will require stable employment options, workforce development, and increased child care. That can be accomplished by expanding job availability through growing local economies beyond seasonal employment, investments in child care, job training, and economic growth, researchers said.