Cottonwood County, Minnesota

County Distress Index: Normal · 37.8 | 11,319 people · 38th most distressed in Minnesota
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Cottonwood County, MN falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 37.8 — 2495th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Minnesota, it ranks 38th 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. Cottonwood County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 64.4 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 64.4
Unemployment Rate 61
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 39
Business Formation Rate 93
Income & Poverty 45.9
Poverty Rate 31
Income vs. State Median 76
Child Poverty Rate 32
Housing Cost Burden 30.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 19
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 19
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 51
Homeownership Rate 41
Rent-to-Income Ratio 22
Debt & Delinquency 27.7
Debt in Collections 15
Medical Debt 21
Student Loan Delinquency 5
Auto Loan Delinquency 46
Credit Card Delinquency 17
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 63
Community Vulnerability 20.6
Uninsured Rate 22
Disability Rate 19

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Cottonwood County
Cottonwood County, MN 37.8 Normal —
Nobles County, MN 43.2 Normal +5.4
Watonwan County, MN 38.3 Normal +0.6
Redwood County, MN 37.2 Normal -0.6
Brown County, MN 30.9 Healthy -6.8
Jackson County, MN 29.9 Healthy -7.9
Murray County, MN 28.5 Healthy -9.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Cottonwood County
Perry County, MO 37.8 Normal 0.0
Emery County, UT 37.8 Normal -0.0
Warren County, VA 37.8 Normal -0.0
Marinette County, WI 37.8 Normal +0.0
Nelson County, KY 37.7 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Cottonwood 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 Cottonwood 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 Cottonwood County, Minnesota?

    Cottonwood County has a County Distress Index score of 37.8 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,495th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 38th in Minnesota out of 87 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Cottonwood County?

    The primary driver of distress in Cottonwood County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 64.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Cottonwood County compare to neighboring counties?

    Cottonwood County (37.8) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Nobles County, MN (43.2); Watonwan County, MN (38.3); Redwood County, MN (37.2).

  • 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 Cottonwood County?

    Cottonwood County, Minnesota has a population of approximately 11,319 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.