Wadena County, Minnesota
Above the national median for unemployment (average of monthly rates) — and 12.6× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Loving County, TX — 1%).
Main Findings
Wadena County, Minnesota is more distressed than 49% of U.S. counties on the County Distress Index. The driver: 7% of the labor force was unemployed on average from September 2025 to August 2026 — above the national median of 4%. Its highest-scoring domain is Labor and its lowest is Delinquency.
- 3rd of 87 counties in Minnesota on the County Distress Index — 49 · moderate-low county distress, more distressed than 49% of U.S. counties.
- 7% 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 95th percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (monthly rates averaged, September 2025 to August 2026; no figures published for October 2025).
- Bankruptcy filing rate at 232 — national median 126, ranked at the 82nd percentile. Source: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025).
- Poverty rate at 15% — national median 13%, ranked at the 65th percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024).
- Rent-to-income ratio at 21% — national median 21%, ranked at the 50th percentile. Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents (FY2027); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024).
Neighbors span two CDI score labels. The 17-point drop to Otter Tail County marks where the Minnesota distress corridor ends.
Wadena County has a moderate-low county distress score. The state rank and domain mix give the county-level context.
The CDI gives this county a moderate-low county distress label. The state rank and highest-scoring local domain add context that the composite alone cannot carry. 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 Wadena County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Wadena County's value shown alongside MN's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Wadena | MN median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 26 · Rank 2,386 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 1% | 3% | 5% | 5th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 5% | 3% | 5% | 47th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 18% | 16% | 23% | 27th | Equifax data retrieved via FRED (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 52 · Rank 1,456 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 16% | 12% | 23% | 21st | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 232 | 132 | 126 | 82nd | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 44 · Rank 1,827 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 21% | 18% | 21% | 50th | 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 | 16% | 20% | 18% | 38th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Labor — domain score 79 · Rank 480 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) | 23% | 15% | 21% | 63rd | 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) | 7% | 5% | 4% | 95th | 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 49 · Rank 1,612 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 16% | 11% | 17% | 45th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 15% | 13% | 16% | 43rd | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 15% | 10% | 13% | 65th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 6% | 5% | 8% | 25th | 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 Wadena County data.
Draft wire copy 132-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
WADENA, Minn. — Wadena County is more distressed than 49% of U.S. counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
Wadena scores 49 out of 100, which means it is more distressed than 49% of U.S. counties; its score label is moderate-low county distress. Within Minnesota, Wadena ranks third 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, identifies labor as the primary driver in Wadena. 7% of the labor force was unemployed on average from September 2025 to August 2026 — above the national median of 4%.
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 Wadena County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Wadena County's distress score?
How does Wadena County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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