Minnesota County Distress Index
Financial distress scores for all 87 counties in Minnesota, scored 0–100 across five domains. Mean score: 36.8. 1county is in the two most distressed fifths.
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-26
Minnesota Snapshot
87 Counties Scored
36.8 Mean Score
37.1 Median Score
62.5 Mahnomen County Most Distressed
16.2 Rock County Least Distressed
1 Second-most distressed fifth11 Middle fifth48 Second-least distressed fifth27 Least distressed fifth
Quintile Distribution Minnesota County Map
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Least distressed fifth Second-least distressed fifth Middle fifth Second-most distressed fifth Most distressed fifth
All 87 Minnesota counties colored by distress fifth. Hover for details; click released counties for full reports.
Most & Least Distressed
Most Distressed
Least Distressed
Score Distribution
How Minnesota's 87 county scores are distributed across the 0–100 scale.
All Minnesota Counties
87 counties ranked by distress score. Click column headers to sort.
| State Rank | Nat'l Rank | County | Score | Distress Fifth | Primary Driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 874 | Mahnomen County | 62.5 | Second-most distressed fifth | Labor |
| 2 | 1,365 | Beltrami County | 54.2 | Middle fifth | Labor |
| 3 | 1,372 | Pine County | 54.2 | Middle fifth | Labor |
| 4 | 1,397 | Wadena County | 53.6 | Middle fifth | Labor |
| 5 | 1,514 | Isanti County | 51.5 | Middle fifth | Labor |
| 6 | 1,533 | Ramsey County | 51.2 | Middle fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 7 | 1,542 | Mille Lacs County | 51.1 | Middle fifth | Labor |
| 8 | 1,583 | Itasca County | 50.3 | Middle fifth | Labor |
| 9 | 1,697 | Kanabec County | 48.2 | Middle fifth | Labor |
| 10 | 1,741 | St. Louis County | 47.5 | Middle fifth | Labor |
| 11 | 1,788 | Benton County | 46.7 | Middle fifth | Labor |
| 12 | 1,862 | Cass County | 45.5 | Middle fifth | Labor |
| 13 | 1,891 | Koochiching County | 45.0 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 14 | 1,902 | Faribault County | 44.7 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 15 | 1,903 | Aitkin County | 44.7 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 16 | 1,913 | Lake County | 44.6 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 17 | 1,954 | Hubbard County | 43.8 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 18 | 1,955 | Renville County | 43.8 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 19 | 2,000 | Chisago County | 43.2 | Second-least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 20 | 2,006 | Mower County | 43.1 | Second-least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 21 | 2,025 | Steele County | 42.7 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 22 | 2,035 | Carlton County | 42.5 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 23 | 2,040 | Stearns County | 42.5 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 24 | 2,058 | Swift County | 42.1 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 25 | 2,061 | Clearwater County | 42.0 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 26 | 2,068 | Norman County | 41.9 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 27 | 2,092 | Crow Wing County | 41.5 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 28 | 2,099 | Freeborn County | 41.4 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 29 | 2,121 | Todd County | 40.7 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 30 | 2,127 | Chippewa County | 40.6 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 31 | 2,136 | Clay County | 40.5 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 32 | 2,160 | Anoka County | 40.2 | Second-least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 33 | 2,215 | Le Sueur County | 39.2 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 34 | 2,218 | Hennepin County | 39.1 | Second-least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 35 | 2,256 | Blue Earth County | 38.3 | Second-least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 36 | 2,267 | Pennington County | 38.1 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 37 | 2,286 | Meeker County | 37.7 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 38 | 2,289 | Sherburne County | 37.7 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 39 | 2,290 | Polk County | 37.7 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 40 | 2,296 | Grant County | 37.5 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 41 | 2,306 | Becker County | 37.4 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 42 | 2,307 | Waseca County | 37.4 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 43 | 2,310 | Kandiyohi County | 37.3 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 44 | 2,320 | Pope County | 37.1 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 45 | 2,332 | Sibley County | 36.8 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 46 | 2,347 | Martin County | 36.5 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 47 | 2,348 | Big Stone County | 36.5 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 48 | 2,357 | Lake of the Woods County | 36.4 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 49 | 2,397 | Dakota County | 35.4 | Second-least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 50 | 2,406 | Morrison County | 35.2 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 51 | 2,407 | Rice County | 35.1 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 52 | 2,417 | Cook County | 35.0 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 53 | 2,437 | Lincoln County | 34.5 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 54 | 2,462 | McLeod County | 34.0 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 55 | 2,465 | Red Lake County | 33.9 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 56 | 2,474 | Lyon County | 33.7 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 57 | 2,476 | Wright County | 33.6 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 58 | 2,497 | Dodge County | 33.0 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 59 | 2,502 | Cottonwood County | 32.9 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 60 | 2,514 | Otter Tail County | 32.7 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 61 | 2,526 | Pipestone County | 32.4 | Least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 62 | 2,544 | Redwood County | 32.1 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 63 | 2,550 | Watonwan County | 32.0 | Least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 64 | 2,575 | Roseau County | 31.5 | Least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 65 | 2,589 | Wilkin County | 31.1 | Least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 66 | 2,600 | Marshall County | 30.9 | Least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 67 | 2,602 | Brown County | 30.9 | Least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 68 | 2,633 | Nobles County | 30.3 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 69 | 2,658 | Washington County | 29.7 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 70 | 2,665 | Goodhue County | 29.5 | Least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 71 | 2,681 | Kittson County | 28.9 | Least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 72 | 2,742 | Scott County | 27.3 | Least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 73 | 2,764 | Wabasha County | 26.8 | Least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 74 | 2,772 | Olmsted County | 26.5 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 75 | 2,775 | Yellow Medicine County | 26.4 | Least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 76 | 2,794 | Fillmore County | 25.9 | Least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 77 | 2,812 | Douglas County | 25.4 | Least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 78 | 2,813 | Nicollet County | 25.4 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 79 | 2,817 | Winona County | 25.2 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 80 | 2,821 | Lac qui Parle County | 25.2 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 81 | 2,831 | Jackson County | 24.8 | Least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 82 | 2,841 | Murray County | 24.5 | Least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 83 | 2,897 | Houston County | 23.0 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 84 | 2,969 | Traverse County | 20.5 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 85 | 2,999 | Carver County | 19.5 | Least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 86 | 3,032 | Stevens County | 17.5 | Least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 87 | 3,046 | Rock County | 16.2 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
How County Scores Work
Each county is scored 0–100 using five equal-weighted domains. Each domain averages its member indicators' county ranks, and the composite is the mean of those domain scores. Higher scores indicate greater household financial distress.
Most distressed fifth — 0 Minnesota counties
Second-most distressed fifth — 1 Minnesota county
Middle fifth — 11 Minnesota counties
Second-least distressed fifth — 48 Minnesota counties
Least distressed fifth — 27 Minnesota counties