Martin County, Minnesota

County Distress Index: Normal · 45.4 | 19,657 people · 11th most distressed in Minnesota
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Martin County, MN falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 45.4 — 1944th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Minnesota, it ranks 11th of 87 counties. It scores higher than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Martin County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 61.8 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 61.8
Unemployment Rate 74
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 18
Business Formation Rate 93
Income & Poverty 56.3
Poverty Rate 47
Income vs. State Median 86
Child Poverty Rate 36
Housing Cost Burden 45.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 65
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 27
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 43
Homeownership Rate 60
Rent-to-Income Ratio 33
Community Vulnerability 34.1
Uninsured Rate 12
Disability Rate 56
Debt & Delinquency 29.0
Debt in Collections 21
Medical Debt 16
Student Loan Delinquency 31
Auto Loan Delinquency 10
Credit Card Delinquency 36
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 59

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Martin County
Martin County, MN 45.4 Normal —
Blue Earth County, MN 42.3 Normal -3.1
Faribault County, MN 40.2 Normal -5.1
Emmet County, IA 39.7 Normal -5.7
Watonwan County, MN 38.3 Normal -7.0
Jackson County, MN 29.9 Healthy -15.5
Kossuth County, IA 28.3 Healthy -17.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Martin County
Christian County, IL 45.4 Normal -0.0
Essex County, NY 45.4 Normal -0.0
Jerome County, ID 45.4 Normal -0.0
Linn County, MO 45.4 Normal +0.0
Houghton County, MI 45.3 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Martin 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 Martin 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 Martin County, Minnesota?

    Martin County has a County Distress Index score of 45.4 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,944th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 11th in Minnesota out of 87 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Martin County?

    The primary driver of distress in Martin County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 61.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Martin County compare to neighboring counties?

    Martin County (45.4) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Blue Earth County, MN (42.3); Faribault County, MN (40.2); 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 Martin County?

    Martin County, Minnesota has a population of approximately 19,657 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.