Clay County, Minnesota

County Distress Index: Normal · 41.5 | 66,258 people · 24th most distressed in Minnesota
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Clay County, MN falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 41.5 — 2248th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Minnesota, it ranks 24th of 87 counties. It scores higher than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Clay County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 74.4 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 74.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 92
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 93
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 83
Homeownership Rate 81
Rent-to-Income Ratio 23
Employment & Wages 56.0
Unemployment Rate 52
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 49
Business Formation Rate 67
Income & Poverty 39.6
Poverty Rate 47
Income vs. State Median 48
Child Poverty Rate 25
Debt & Delinquency 26.3
Debt in Collections 20
Medical Debt 16
Student Loan Delinquency 23
Auto Loan Delinquency 21
Credit Card Delinquency 35
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 44
Community Vulnerability 11.4
Uninsured Rate 5
Disability Rate 18

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Clay County
Clay County, MN 41.5 Normal —
Becker County, MN 39.4 Normal -2.1
Norman County, MN 37.8 Normal -3.7
Otter Tail County, MN 36.7 Normal -4.8
Richland County, ND 33.9 Healthy -7.7
Wilkin County, MN 31.6 Healthy -9.9
Cass County, ND 27.8 Healthy -13.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Clay County
Burnet County, TX 41.5 Normal -0.0
Iron County, UT 41.5 Normal -0.0
Boone County, IL 41.6 Normal +0.1
Cabarrus County, NC 41.4 Normal -0.1
Guadalupe County, TX 41.7 Normal +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Clay 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 Clay 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 Clay County, Minnesota?

    Clay County has a County Distress Index score of 41.5 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,248th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 24th in Minnesota out of 87 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Clay County?

    The primary driver of distress in Clay County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 74.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Clay County compare to neighboring counties?

    Clay County (41.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Becker County, MN (39.4); Norman County, MN (37.8); Otter Tail County, MN (36.7).

  • 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 Clay County?

    Clay County, Minnesota has a population of approximately 66,258 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.