Carlton County, Minnesota

County Distress Index: Normal · 40.2 | 36,825 people · 30th most distressed in Minnesota
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Carlton County, MN falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 40.2 — 2338th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where unemployment is elevated, wages are low relative to housing costs, and business formation lags. Within Minnesota, it ranks 30th of 87 counties. It scores lower than all 4 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Carlton County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 76.5 — worse than roughly 77% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 76.5
Unemployment Rate 90
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 54
Business Formation Rate 85
Housing Cost Burden 48.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 51
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 47
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 86
Homeownership Rate 22
Rent-to-Income Ratio 34
Community Vulnerability 31.6
Uninsured Rate 15
Disability Rate 48
Debt & Delinquency 25.9
Debt in Collections 14
Medical Debt 16
Student Loan Delinquency 31
Auto Loan Delinquency 5
Credit Card Delinquency 19
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 70
Income & Poverty 18.8
Poverty Rate 13
Income vs. State Median 37
Child Poverty Rate 6

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Carlton County compares to its 4 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Carlton County
Carlton County, MN 40.2 Normal —
Pine County, MN 50.2 Elevated +10.1
Aitkin County, MN 47.7 Normal +7.5
St. Louis County, MN 46.1 Normal +6.0
Douglas County, WI 42.0 Normal +1.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Carlton County
Mercer County, KY 40.2 Normal +0.0
Preble County, OH 40.2 Normal +0.0
Louisa County, VA 40.2 Normal +0.0
Davie County, NC 40.1 Normal -0.0
Freeborn County, MN 40.2 Normal +0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Carlton 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 Carlton 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

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Carlton County has a County Distress Index score of 40.2 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,338th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 30th in Minnesota out of 87 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Carlton County?

    The primary driver of distress in Carlton County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 76.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Carlton County compare to neighboring counties?

    Carlton County (40.2) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Pine County, MN (50.2); Aitkin County, MN (47.7); St. Louis County, MN (46.1).

  • 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 Carlton County?

    Carlton County, Minnesota has a population of approximately 36,825 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.