#71 Minnesota · 2026

Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota

10 · very low county distress more distressed than 10% of U.S. counties · 71st of 87 counties in Minnesota · 6,630 residents How this is calculated →
The headline number
22% Lac qui Parle residents
vs.
18% U.S. median

Above the national median for severe rent burden (50%+).

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024)

Main Findings

Wire lede · 43 words · paste-ready

Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota is more distressed than 10% of U.S. counties on the County Distress Index. Lac qui Parle sits near the national median across major distress indicators. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis) and its lowest is Delinquency.

Key Findings
  • 71st of 87 counties in Minnesota on the County Distress Index — 10 · very low county distress, more distressed than 10% of U.S. counties.
  • 22% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent (U.S. median 18%). Severe rent burden (50%+) at the 73rd percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024).
  • Labor domain score 31 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
  • Safety Net & Buffer domain score 24 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
  • Default & Legal domain score 17 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
County Distress Index cluster map. Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota and its neighbors colored by county distress score label.
Lac qui Parle and its 6 geographic neighbors, graded by County Distress Index score. Lac qui Parle County is more distressed than 10% of U.S. counties. American Default Research
Wire summary — paste-ready, any angle 26 words

Lac qui Parle County has a very low county distress score. The rank and domain mix show where the county still sits in the national cross-section.

— American Default Research
Index note — for feature use 34 words

The CDI gives this county a very low county distress label. The rank is still reported because low score intensity and relative position are different measures. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).

— American Default Research

Indicator History

Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.

Updated Sep 22, 2026
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 1990 to 2025

Unemployment rate

3.4% 0 percentage points since 1990
Census 1989 to 2024

Poverty rate

9.3% -1.8 percentage points since 1989
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis 1969 to 2024

Transfer income share

29.1% +17.8 percentage points since 1969
Equifax data retrieved via FRED 2014 Q2 to 2025 Q4

Subprime credit population

11.7% -6.45 percentage points since 2014 Q2

The Indicators Behind Lac qui Parle County's CDI Score

Every number traces to a public source. Lac qui Parle County's value shown alongside MN's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.

How to read the table. A domain score is a 0–100 composite of the indicators in that domain; higher values represent a higher mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles. A county's domain rank is computed separately against all counties. Percentile is Lac qui Parle County's national rank among all 3,144 U.S. counties for that indicator, always oriented so higher = more distressed.
Indicator Lac qui Parle MN median U.S. median Pctile Source
Delinquency — domain score 9 · Rank 3,009 of 3,144
Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due 2% 3% 5% 5th Urban Institute Debt in America (2025)
Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due 4% 3% 5% 18th Urban Institute Debt in America (2025)
Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 12% 16% 23% 5th Equifax data retrieved via FRED (2025)
Default & Legal — domain score 17 · Rank 2,855 of 3,144
Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections 13% 12% 23% 12th Urban Institute Debt in America (2025)
Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 75 132 126 22nd Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025)
Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 42 · Rank 1,913 of 3,144
Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income 17% 18% 21% 11th U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents (FY2027); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024)
Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent 22% 20% 18% 73rd U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024)
Labor — domain score 31 · Rank 2,336 of 3,144
Adults 25-54 not working Share of adults aged 25 to 54 without a job, leaving out residents of prisons and other institutions (service members count as working) 16% 15% 21% 19th U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024)
Unemployment (average of monthly rates) Share of labor force unemployed, averaged over the monthly rates published for September 2025 to August 2026 (no figures published for October 2025) 4% 5% 4% 44th U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (monthly rates averaged, September 2025 to August 2026; no figures published for October 2025)
Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 24 · Rank 2,603 of 3,144
Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line 11% 11% 17% 19th U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024)
Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability 16% 13% 16% 45th U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024)
Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line 9% 10% 13% 17th U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024)
Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage 4% 5% 8% 7th U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024)
Compiled September 30, 2026 from Urban Institute Debt in America (2025 panel), U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-yr 2024, SAIPE 2024, Business Formation Statistics 2025), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS August 2026, QCEW 2025), Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (F-5A bankruptcy filings 2025), and HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2027).

Five-Domain Breakdown

The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.

Debt Burden (housing basis) Primary driver 42
Weight 20% · Rank 1,913 of 3,144
Labor 31
Weight 20% · Rank 2,336 of 3,144
Safety Net & Buffer 24
Weight 20% · Rank 2,603 of 3,144
Default & Legal 17
Weight 20% · Rank 2,855 of 3,144
Delinquency 9
Weight 20% · Rank 3,009 of 3,144

Methodology

The County Distress Index scores household financial distress from 0 to 100 for all 3,144 U.S. counties. A county's score is the share of U.S. counties it is more distressed than. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the five domains are averaged, and that average is ranked against every other county to give the score.

Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), Equifax data retrieved via FRED (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2024 to 2027 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.

For Press & Research

Everything you need to cite Lac qui Parle County data.

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Press contact: Ross Kilburn · press@americandefault.org · (307) 264-2992 · media inquiries welcome
Draft wire copy 131-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
DRAFT · 131 words · for immediate release · cleared for reuse with attribution to American Default Research

MADISON, Minn. — Lac qui Parle County is more distressed than 10% of U.S. counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.

Lac qui Parle scores 10 out of 100, which means it is more distressed than 10% of U.S. counties; its score label is very low county distress. Within Minnesota, Lac qui Parle ranks 71st of 87 counties.

The index, which draws on 14 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, finds Lac qui Parle sitting near the national median across major distress indicators, with no single domain emerging as a clear driver.

American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.

Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.

— 30 —

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Lac qui Parle County's CDI score, and what does it mean?

Lac qui Parle County scores 10 out of 100 on the County Distress Index, which means it is more distressed than 10% of U.S. counties. Its score label is very low county distress. It ranks 71st of 87 Minnesota counties. Higher county scores indicate more distress.

What drives Lac qui Parle County's distress score?

The highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis), at a domain score of 42. Severe rent burden (50%+) ranks at the 73rd percentile nationally.

How does Lac qui Parle County compare to its neighbors?

Lac qui Parle County's neighbors span three CDI score labels. Highest-distress neighbor: Swift County (42.00, moderate-low county distress). Lowest: Deuel County, SD (0.00, exceptionally low county distress).

How is the County Distress Index calculated?

The CDI averages 14 source indicators across five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer, then ranks that average against every other county, so the score is the share of U.S. counties a county is more distressed than. Data comes from Urban Institute, Census Bureau, BLS, U.S. Courts, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and related public sources. Full methodology →
Ross Kilburn
Written by

Ross Kilburn, Founder

Founder · American Default Research · Seattle, Washington

Ross Kilburn is the former COO of Ark Law Group, a foreclosure defense firm serving five states. He founded Seattle Short Sales, wrote Short Sale Your Home, and worked as a mortgage loan originator and real estate agent. He founded American Default Research in 2026.

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