Pennington County, Minnesota

County Distress Index: Normal · 41.4 | 13,714 people · 26th most distressed in Minnesota
American Default Research

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Pennington County, MN falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 41.4 — 2263rd 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 26th of 87 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 3 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Pennington County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 77.0 — worse than roughly 77% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 77.0
Unemployment Rate 95
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 41
Business Formation Rate 95
Housing Cost Burden 46.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 41
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 29
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 73
Homeownership Rate 65
Rent-to-Income Ratio 23
Debt & Delinquency 31.9
Debt in Collections 17
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 90
Auto Loan Delinquency 7
Credit Card Delinquency 30
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 41
Income & Poverty 26.8
Poverty Rate 23
Income vs. State Median 45
Child Poverty Rate 13
Community Vulnerability 25.1
Uninsured Rate 8
Disability Rate 42

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Pennington County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Pennington County
Pennington County, MN 41.4 Normal —
Beltrami County, MN 54.8 Elevated +13.3
Clearwater County, MN 46.0 Normal +4.6
Polk County, MN 39.5 Normal -1.9
Red Lake County, MN 31.2 Healthy -10.2
Marshall County, MN 25.7 Healthy -15.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Pennington County
Mono County, CA 41.4 Normal 0.0
Morrow County, OR 41.4 Normal +0.0
Salem city, VA 41.4 Normal +0.0
Humboldt County, NV 41.5 Normal +0.1
Bryan County, GA 41.5 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Pennington 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 Pennington 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 Pennington County, Minnesota?

    Pennington County has a County Distress Index score of 41.4 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,263rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 26th in Minnesota out of 87 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Pennington County?

    The primary driver of distress in Pennington County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 77.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Pennington County compare to neighboring counties?

    Pennington County (41.4) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Beltrami County, MN (54.8); Clearwater County, MN (46.0); Polk County, MN (39.5).

  • 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 Pennington County?

    Pennington County, Minnesota has a population of approximately 13,714 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.