Clearwater County, Minnesota

County Distress Index: Normal · 46.0 | 8,644 people · 10th most distressed in Minnesota
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Clearwater County, MN falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 46.0 — 1894th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where uninsured and disability rates are well above the national average. Within Minnesota, it ranks 10th of 87 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Clearwater County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 70.2 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 70.2
Uninsured Rate 79
Disability Rate 61
Employment & Wages 60.6
Unemployment Rate 95
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 9
Business Formation Rate 78
Income & Poverty 59.6
Poverty Rate 46
Income vs. State Median 80
Child Poverty Rate 53
Housing Cost Burden 26.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 31
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 18
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 44
Homeownership Rate 14
Rent-to-Income Ratio 25
Debt & Delinquency 13.4
Debt in Collections 14
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 16
Auto Loan Delinquency 10
Credit Card Delinquency 8
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 26

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Clearwater County
Clearwater County, MN 46.0 Normal —
Mahnomen County, MN 59.7 Elevated +13.7
Beltrami County, MN 54.8 Elevated +8.7
Hubbard County, MN 41.5 Normal -4.6
Pennington County, MN 41.4 Normal -4.6
Polk County, MN 39.5 Normal -6.6
Becker County, MN 39.4 Normal -6.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Clearwater County
Loup County, NE 46.1 Normal +0.0
Monroe County, MO 46.0 Normal -0.1
Hamilton County, IL 46.1 Normal +0.1
Hooker County, NE 46.1 Normal +0.1
Harper County, KS 46.1 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Clearwater 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 Clearwater 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 Clearwater County, Minnesota?

    Clearwater County has a County Distress Index score of 46.0 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,894th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 10th in Minnesota out of 87 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Clearwater County?

    The primary driver of distress in Clearwater County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 70.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Clearwater County compare to neighboring counties?

    Clearwater County (46.0) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Mahnomen County, MN (59.7); Beltrami County, MN (54.8); Hubbard County, MN (41.5).

  • 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 Clearwater County?

    Clearwater County, Minnesota has a population of approximately 8,644 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.