Lincoln County, Minnesota

County Distress Index: Healthy · 34.3 | 5,521 people · 56th most distressed in Minnesota
American Default Research

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

Lincoln County, MN ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 34.3 — 2684th 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 56th 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. Lincoln County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 69.7 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 69.7
Unemployment Rate 93
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 57
Business Formation Rate 60
Income & Poverty 32.4
Poverty Rate 18
Income vs. State Median 72
Child Poverty Rate 8
Community Vulnerability 27.2
Uninsured Rate 21
Disability Rate 33
Housing Cost Burden 22.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 23
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 36
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 24
Homeownership Rate 10
Rent-to-Income Ratio 19
Debt & Delinquency 19.6
Debt in Collections 14
Medical Debt 17
Student Loan Delinquency 16
Auto Loan Delinquency 44
Credit Card Delinquency 5
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 21

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Lincoln County
Lincoln County, MN 34.3 Healthy —
Lyon County, MN 38.7 Normal +4.4
Pipestone County, MN 36.9 Normal +2.5
Moody County, SD 31.8 Healthy -2.5
Yellow Medicine County, MN 31.1 Healthy -3.2
Brookings County, SD 23.6 Healthy -10.7
Deuel County, SD 21.0 Healthy -13.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Lincoln County
Franklin County, IA 34.3 Healthy +0.0
Taylor County, IA 34.4 Healthy +0.1
Divide County, ND 34.4 Healthy +0.1
San Miguel County, CO 34.2 Healthy -0.1
Lipscomb County, TX 34.1 Healthy -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Lincoln 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 Lincoln 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 Lincoln County, Minnesota?

    Lincoln County has a County Distress Index score of 34.3 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,684th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 56th in Minnesota out of 87 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Lincoln County?

    The primary driver of distress in Lincoln County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 69.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Lincoln County compare to neighboring counties?

    Lincoln County (34.3) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Lyon County, MN (38.7); Pipestone County, MN (36.9); Moody County, SD (31.8).

  • 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 Lincoln County?

    Lincoln County, Minnesota has a population of approximately 5,521 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.