Chisago County, Minnesota

County Distress Index: Normal · 36.2 | 58,535 people · 47th most distressed in Minnesota
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Chisago County, MN falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 36.2 — 2579th 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 47th of 87 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Chisago County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 75.8 — worse than roughly 76% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 75.8
Unemployment Rate 85
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 92
Business Formation Rate 51
Housing Cost Burden 67.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 87
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 90
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 96
Homeownership Rate 3
Rent-to-Income Ratio 63
Debt & Delinquency 23.3
Debt in Collections 7
Medical Debt 16
Student Loan Delinquency 5
Auto Loan Delinquency 9
Credit Card Delinquency 21
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 81
Community Vulnerability 9.3
Uninsured Rate 8
Disability Rate 11
Income & Poverty 5.0
Poverty Rate 1
Income vs. State Median 12
Child Poverty Rate 1

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Chisago County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Chisago County
Chisago County, MN 36.2 Normal —
Pine County, MN 50.2 Elevated +14.0
Burnett County, WI 49.2 Normal +13.0
Isanti County, MN 42.5 Normal +6.3
Kanabec County, MN 42.1 Normal +5.9
Polk County, WI 37.3 Normal +1.1
Anoka County, MN 32.5 Healthy -3.7
Washington County, MN 27.5 Healthy -8.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Chisago County
Rice County, MN 36.3 Normal +0.1
Wood County, WI 36.3 Normal +0.1
Bullitt County, KY 36.1 Normal -0.1
Sussex County, NJ 36.1 Normal -0.1
Midland County, MI 36.4 Normal +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Chisago 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 Chisago 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 Chisago County, Minnesota?

    Chisago County has a County Distress Index score of 36.2 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,579th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 47th in Minnesota out of 87 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Chisago County?

    The primary driver of distress in Chisago County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 75.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Chisago County compare to neighboring counties?

    Chisago County (36.2) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Pine County, MN (50.2); Burnett County, WI (49.2); Isanti County, MN (42.5).

  • 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 Chisago County?

    Chisago County, Minnesota has a population of approximately 58,535 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.