Freeborn County, Minnesota

County Distress Index: Normal · 40.2 | 30,515 people · 29th most distressed in Minnesota
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Freeborn County, MN falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 40.2 — 2334th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Minnesota, it ranks 29th 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. Freeborn County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 60.4 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 60.4
Unemployment Rate 67
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 21
Business Formation Rate 93
Housing Cost Burden 42.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 58
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 53
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 61
Homeownership Rate 22
Rent-to-Income Ratio 17
Income & Poverty 38.3
Poverty Rate 24
Income vs. State Median 69
Child Poverty Rate 22
Debt & Delinquency 32.6
Debt in Collections 19
Medical Debt 18
Student Loan Delinquency 6
Auto Loan Delinquency 51
Credit Card Delinquency 34
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 68
Community Vulnerability 27.5
Uninsured Rate 26
Disability Rate 29

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Freeborn County
Freeborn County, MN 40.2 Normal —
Mower County, MN 43.7 Normal +3.5
Faribault County, MN 40.2 Normal +0.0
Waseca County, MN 34.4 Healthy -5.8
Winnebago County, IA 33.5 Healthy -6.7
Steele County, MN 28.7 Healthy -11.5
Worth County, IA 27.4 Healthy -12.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Freeborn County
Preble County, OH 40.2 Normal -0.0
Louisa County, VA 40.2 Normal -0.0
Mercer County, KY 40.2 Normal -0.0
Faribault County, MN 40.2 Normal +0.0
Carlton County, MN 40.2 Normal -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Freeborn 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 Freeborn 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 Freeborn County, Minnesota?

    Freeborn County has a County Distress Index score of 40.2 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,334th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 29th in Minnesota out of 87 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Freeborn County?

    The primary driver of distress in Freeborn County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 60.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Freeborn County compare to neighboring counties?

    Freeborn County (40.2) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Mower County, MN (43.7); Faribault County, MN (40.2); Waseca County, MN (34.4).

  • 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 Freeborn County?

    Freeborn County, Minnesota has a population of approximately 30,515 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.