Cass County, Minnesota

County Distress Index: Normal · 49.1 | 31,446 people · 5th most distressed in Minnesota
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Cass County, MN falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 49.1 — 1662nd 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 5th of 87 counties. Among its 8 neighboring counties, 6 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Cass County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 70.1 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 70.1
Unemployment Rate 99
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 63
Business Formation Rate 49
Income & Poverty 68.6
Poverty Rate 59
Income vs. State Median 83
Child Poverty Rate 64
Community Vulnerability 43.6
Uninsured Rate 41
Disability Rate 46
Housing Cost Burden 34.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 40
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 34
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 69
Homeownership Rate 4
Rent-to-Income Ratio 28
Debt & Delinquency 28.4
Debt in Collections 12
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 62
Auto Loan Delinquency 30
Credit Card Delinquency 21
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 39

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Cass County compares to its 8 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Cass County
Cass County, MN 49.1 Normal —
Beltrami County, MN 54.8 Elevated +5.6
Wadena County, MN 50.9 Elevated +1.7
Itasca County, MN 48.8 Normal -0.3
Aitkin County, MN 47.7 Normal -1.4
Todd County, MN 43.2 Normal -5.9
Hubbard County, MN 41.5 Normal -7.6
Crow Wing County, MN 39.5 Normal -9.6
Morrison County, MN 33.9 Healthy -15.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Cass County
LaSalle Parish, LA 49.1 Normal -0.0
Polk County, NC 49.1 Normal -0.0
Lawrence County, AL 49.2 Normal +0.0
Burnett County, WI 49.2 Normal +0.1
Owen County, KY 49.0 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Cass 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 Cass 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 Cass County, Minnesota?

    Cass County has a County Distress Index score of 49.1 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,662nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 5th in Minnesota out of 87 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Cass County?

    The primary driver of distress in Cass County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 70.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Cass County compare to neighboring counties?

    Cass County (49.1) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Beltrami County, MN (54.8); Wadena County, MN (50.9); Itasca County, MN (48.8).

  • 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 Cass County?

    Cass County, Minnesota has a population of approximately 31,446 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.