Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota

County Distress Index: Normal · 36.3 | 3,778 people · 45th most distressed in Minnesota
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Lake of the Woods County, MN falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 36.3 — 2575th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where unemployment is elevated, wages are low relative to housing costs, and business formation lags. Within Minnesota, it ranks 45th of 87 counties. Among its 3 neighboring counties, 2 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Lake of the Woods County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 70.1 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 70.1
Unemployment Rate 91
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 25
Business Formation Rate 94
Income & Poverty 43.5
Poverty Rate 24
Income vs. State Median 70
Child Poverty Rate 36
Housing Cost Burden 34.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 95
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 29
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 20
Homeownership Rate 5
Rent-to-Income Ratio 24
Community Vulnerability 18.3
Uninsured Rate 11
Disability Rate 25
Debt & Delinquency 15.2
Debt in Collections 7
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 16
Auto Loan Delinquency 10
Credit Card Delinquency 13
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 39

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Lake of the Woods County compares to its 3 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Lake of the Woods County
Lake of the Woods County, MN 36.3 Normal —
Beltrami County, MN 54.8 Elevated +18.5
Koochiching County, MN 41.6 Normal +5.3
Roseau County, MN 27.8 Healthy -8.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Lake of the Woods County
Keokuk County, IA 36.3 Normal +0.0
Rawlins County, KS 36.4 Normal +0.1
Webster County, NE 36.4 Normal +0.1
Ballard County, KY 36.2 Normal -0.1
Cook County, MN 36.5 Normal +0.2

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Lake of the Woods County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Lake of the Woods 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 Lake of the Woods 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.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Minnesota →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota?

    Lake of the Woods County has a County Distress Index score of 36.3 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,575th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 45th in Minnesota out of 87 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Lake of the Woods County?

    The primary driver of distress in Lake of the Woods County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 70.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Lake of the Woods County compare to neighboring counties?

    Lake of the Woods County (36.3) can be compared to its 3 neighboring counties: Beltrami County, MN (54.8); Koochiching County, MN (41.6); Roseau County, MN (27.8).

  • 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 Lake of the Woods County?

    Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota has a population of approximately 3,778 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.