Jackson County, Minnesota

County Distress Index: Healthy · 29.9 | 9,919 people · 72nd most distressed in Minnesota
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Jackson County, MN ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 29.9 — 2890th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Minnesota, it ranks 72nd of 87 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 6 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Jackson County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 61.3 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 61.3
Unemployment Rate 67
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 26
Business Formation Rate 91
Debt & Delinquency 23.3
Debt in Collections 10
Medical Debt 16
Student Loan Delinquency 16
Auto Loan Delinquency 5
Credit Card Delinquency 51
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 41
Housing Cost Burden 22.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 50
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 20
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 24
Homeownership Rate 13
Rent-to-Income Ratio 7
Income & Poverty 21.2
Poverty Rate 7
Income vs. State Median 47
Child Poverty Rate 10
Community Vulnerability 20.5
Uninsured Rate 5
Disability Rate 36

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Jackson County
Jackson County, MN 29.9 Healthy —
Martin County, MN 45.4 Normal +15.5
Nobles County, MN 43.2 Normal +13.3
Emmet County, IA 39.7 Normal +9.8
Watonwan County, MN 38.3 Normal +8.5
Cottonwood County, MN 37.8 Normal +7.9
Osceola County, IA 33.2 Healthy +3.4
Dickinson County, IA 28.3 Healthy -1.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Jackson County
Greeley County, NE 29.9 Healthy +0.0
Howard County, IA 29.8 Healthy -0.0
Grant County, SD 30.1 Healthy +0.2
Ellsworth County, KS 30.2 Healthy +0.3
Armstrong County, TX 30.2 Healthy +0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Jackson 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 Jackson 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 Jackson County, Minnesota?

    Jackson County has a County Distress Index score of 29.9 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,890th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 72nd in Minnesota out of 87 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Jackson County?

    The primary driver of distress in Jackson County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 61.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Jackson County compare to neighboring counties?

    Jackson County (29.9) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Martin County, MN (45.4); Nobles County, MN (43.2); Emmet County, IA (39.7).

  • 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 Jackson County?

    Jackson County, Minnesota has a population of approximately 9,919 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.