Otter Tail County, Minnesota

County Distress Index: Normal · 36.7 | 60,626 people · 42nd most distressed in Minnesota
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Otter Tail County, MN falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 36.7 — 2555th 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 42nd of 87 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Otter Tail County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 65.1 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 65.1
Unemployment Rate 91
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 28
Business Formation Rate 77
Housing Cost Burden 43.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 51
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 53
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 79
Homeownership Rate 23
Rent-to-Income Ratio 12
Income & Poverty 34.7
Poverty Rate 25
Income vs. State Median 59
Child Poverty Rate 20
Community Vulnerability 29.6
Uninsured Rate 25
Disability Rate 35
Debt & Delinquency 10.6
Debt in Collections 4
Medical Debt 16
Student Loan Delinquency 10
Auto Loan Delinquency 10
Credit Card Delinquency 5
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 19

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Otter Tail County
Otter Tail County, MN 36.7 Normal —
Wadena County, MN 50.9 Elevated +14.1
Todd County, MN 43.2 Normal +6.5
Clay County, MN 41.5 Normal +4.8
Becker County, MN 39.4 Normal +2.6
Grant County, MN 35.3 Normal -1.4
Wilkin County, MN 31.6 Healthy -5.1
Douglas County, MN 25.9 Healthy -10.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Otter Tail County
Porter County, IN 36.6 Normal -0.1
La Crosse County, WI 36.6 Normal -0.1
Saline County, AR 36.8 Normal +0.1
Merrimack County, NH 36.6 Normal -0.1
Lincoln County, NC 36.9 Normal +0.2

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Otter Tail County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Otter Tail 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 Otter Tail 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

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Otter Tail County, Minnesota?

    Otter Tail County has a County Distress Index score of 36.7 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,555th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 42nd in Minnesota out of 87 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Otter Tail County?

    The primary driver of distress in Otter Tail County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 65.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Otter Tail County compare to neighboring counties?

    Otter Tail County (36.7) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Wadena County, MN (50.9); Todd County, MN (43.2); Clay County, MN (41.5).

  • 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 Otter Tail County?

    Otter Tail County, Minnesota has a population of approximately 60,626 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.