Polk County, Minnesota

County Distress Index: Normal · 39.5 | 30,412 people · 32nd most distressed in Minnesota
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Polk County, MN falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 39.5 — 2383rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Minnesota, it ranks 32nd of 87 counties. Among its 8 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Polk County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 70.8 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 70.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 91
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 85
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 87
Homeownership Rate 61
Rent-to-Income Ratio 30
Employment & Wages 60.9
Unemployment Rate 67
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 40
Business Formation Rate 77
Income & Poverty 35.7
Poverty Rate 26
Income vs. State Median 62
Child Poverty Rate 18
Community Vulnerability 15.3
Uninsured Rate 16
Disability Rate 14
Debt & Delinquency 14.5
Debt in Collections 7
Medical Debt 17
Student Loan Delinquency 12
Auto Loan Delinquency 4
Credit Card Delinquency 8
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 40

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Polk County compares to its 8 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Polk County
Polk County, MN 39.5 Normal —
Mahnomen County, MN 59.7 Elevated +20.3
Clearwater County, MN 46.0 Normal +6.6
Pennington County, MN 41.4 Normal +1.9
Norman County, MN 37.8 Normal -1.7
Grand Forks County, ND 33.2 Healthy -6.3
Red Lake County, MN 31.2 Healthy -8.3
Marshall County, MN 25.7 Healthy -13.8
Traill County, ND 18.8 Healthy -20.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Polk County
Itawamba County, MS 39.5 Normal +0.0
Clayton County, IA 39.5 Normal +0.0
Clark County, WI 39.5 Normal +0.1
Warren County, IL 39.4 Normal -0.1
Becker County, MN 39.4 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Polk 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 Polk 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 Polk County, Minnesota?

    Polk County has a County Distress Index score of 39.5 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,383rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 32nd in Minnesota out of 87 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Polk County?

    The primary driver of distress in Polk County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 70.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Polk County compare to neighboring counties?

    Polk County (39.5) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Mahnomen County, MN (59.7); Clearwater County, MN (46.0); Pennington County, MN (41.4).

  • 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 Polk County?

    Polk County, Minnesota has a population of approximately 30,412 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.