Brown County, Minnesota

County Distress Index: Healthy · 30.9 | 25,628 people · 68th most distressed in Minnesota
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Brown County, MN ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 30.9 — 2854th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Minnesota, it ranks 68th of 87 counties. It scores lower than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Brown County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 57.4 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 57.4
Unemployment Rate 67
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 14
Business Formation Rate 92
Housing Cost Burden 45.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 68
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 72
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 61
Homeownership Rate 22
Rent-to-Income Ratio 7
Debt & Delinquency 22.3
Debt in Collections 4
Medical Debt 15
Student Loan Delinquency 25
Auto Loan Delinquency 8
Credit Card Delinquency 9
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 72
Income & Poverty 19.5
Poverty Rate 8
Income vs. State Median 48
Child Poverty Rate 3
Community Vulnerability 9.7
Uninsured Rate 7
Disability Rate 12

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Brown County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Brown County
Brown County, MN 30.9 Healthy —
Blue Earth County, MN 42.3 Normal +11.3
Watonwan County, MN 38.3 Normal +7.4
Cottonwood County, MN 37.8 Normal +6.8
Redwood County, MN 37.2 Normal +6.2
Renville County, MN 34.6 Healthy +3.7
Nicollet County, MN 31.8 Healthy +0.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Brown County
Oconto County, WI 30.9 Healthy -0.0
Louisa County, IA 31.0 Healthy +0.1
Summit County, CO 31.0 Healthy +0.1
Clinton County, IL 30.9 Healthy -0.1
Cass County, NE 30.8 Healthy -0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Brown County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Brown County

Find an Attorney

Minnesota State Bar Association Lawyer Referral offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Minnesota State Bar Association Lawyer Referral 612-278-6333

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Brown County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid Society of Minneapolis 612-334-5970
Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid 612-332-1441
Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services 1-888-575-2954
Central Minnesota Legal Services, Inc. (612) 334-5970
Legal Aid Service of Northeastern Minnesota (800) 933-1112
Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota Corporation (800) 450-8585

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Brown County, Minnesota?

    Brown County has a County Distress Index score of 30.9 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,854th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 68th in Minnesota out of 87 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Brown County?

    The primary driver of distress in Brown County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 57.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Brown County compare to neighboring counties?

    Brown County (30.9) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Blue Earth County, MN (42.3); Watonwan County, MN (38.3); Cottonwood County, MN (37.8).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Brown County?

    Brown County, Minnesota has a population of approximately 25,628 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.