Murray County, Minnesota

County Distress Index: Healthy · 28.5 | 8,049 people · 76th most distressed in Minnesota
American Default Research

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

Murray County, MN ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 28.5 — 2939th 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 76th of 87 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Murray County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 73.5 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 73.5
Unemployment Rate 94
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 39
Business Formation Rate 87
Income & Poverty 26.1
Poverty Rate 24
Income vs. State Median 39
Child Poverty Rate 15
Community Vulnerability 15.6
Uninsured Rate 12
Disability Rate 19
Housing Cost Burden 15.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 8
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 14
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 38
Homeownership Rate 11
Rent-to-Income Ratio 5
Debt & Delinquency 11.8
Debt in Collections 6
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 16
Auto Loan Delinquency 29
Credit Card Delinquency 8
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 5

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Murray County
Murray County, MN 28.5 Healthy —
Nobles County, MN 43.2 Normal +14.7
Lyon County, MN 38.7 Normal +10.2
Cottonwood County, MN 37.8 Normal +9.3
Redwood County, MN 37.2 Normal +8.7
Pipestone County, MN 36.9 Normal +8.4
Rock County, MN 24.8 Healthy -3.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Murray County
Antelope County, NE 28.5 Healthy 0.0
Washington County, KS 28.5 Healthy +0.0
Bon Homme County, SD 28.5 Healthy +0.0
Thayer County, NE 28.5 Healthy +0.0
Rich County, UT 28.4 Healthy -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Murray County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Murray County.

SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA HOUSING PARTNERSHIP
Slayton
507-836-1608 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingHome Improvement/RehabPost-Purchase

See all counselors in Minnesota →

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 Murray 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 Murray County, Minnesota?

    Murray County has a County Distress Index score of 28.5 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,939th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 76th in Minnesota out of 87 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Murray County?

    The primary driver of distress in Murray County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 73.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Murray County compare to neighboring counties?

    Murray County (28.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Nobles County, MN (43.2); Lyon County, MN (38.7); Cottonwood County, MN (37.8).

  • 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 Murray County?

    Murray County, Minnesota has a population of approximately 8,049 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.