Steele County, Minnesota
Above the national median for unemployment (average of monthly rates) — and 9.8× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Loving County, TX — 1%).
Main Findings
Steele County, Minnesota is more distressed than 26% of U.S. counties on the County Distress Index. Steele sits near the national median across major distress indicators. Its highest-scoring domain is Labor and its lowest is Safety Net & Buffer.
- 27th of 87 counties in Minnesota on the County Distress Index — 26 · low county distress, more distressed than 26% of U.S. counties.
- 5% of the labor force was unemployed on average from September 2025 to August 2026 (U.S. median 4%). Unemployment (average of monthly rates) at the 84th percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (monthly rates averaged, September 2025 to August 2026; no figures published for October 2025).
- Severe rent burden (50%+) at 22% — national median 18%, ranked at the 70th percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024).
- Bankruptcy filing rate at 198 — national median 126, ranked at the 74th percentile. Source: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025).
- Delinquency domain score 34 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
Neighbors span two CDI score labels. The 22-point drop to Waseca County marks where the Minnesota distress corridor ends.
Steele County has a low county distress score. The CDI reading is a county comparison, separate from national ADI bands.
The CDI gives this county a low county distress label. The score is a county comparison, separate from national ADI bands. Its highest-scoring domain is Labor.
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Steele County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Steele County's value shown alongside MN's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Steele | MN median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 34 · Rank 2,094 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 4% | 3% | 5% | 33rd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 5% | 3% | 5% | 40th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 19% | 16% | 23% | 31st | Equifax data retrieved via FRED (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 44 · Rank 1,802 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 14% | 12% | 23% | 14th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 198 | 132 | 126 | 74th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 45 · Rank 1,764 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 18% | 18% | 21% | 21st | 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% | 70th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Labor — domain score 47 · Rank 1,757 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) | 13% | 15% | 21% | 9th | 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) | 5% | 5% | 4% | 84th | 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 11 · Rank 3,003 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 9% | 11% | 17% | 9th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 12% | 13% | 16% | 13th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 8% | 10% | 13% | 10th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 4% | 5% | 8% | 5th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
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 Steele County data.
Draft wire copy 122-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
OWATONNA, Minn. — Steele County is more distressed than 26% of U.S. counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
Steele scores 26 out of 100, which means it is more distressed than 26% of U.S. counties; its score label is low county distress. Within Minnesota, Steele ranks 27th 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 Steele 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Steele County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Steele County's distress score?
How does Steele County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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