Pope County, Minnesota

County Distress Index: Normal · 36.6 | 11,400 people · 43rd most distressed in Minnesota
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Pope County, MN falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 36.6 — 2558th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Minnesota, it ranks 43rd of 87 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 6 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Pope County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 62.4 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 62.4
Unemployment Rate 82
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 25
Business Formation Rate 80
Housing Cost Burden 57.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 82
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 89
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 72
Homeownership Rate 8
Rent-to-Income Ratio 35
Income & Poverty 30.6
Poverty Rate 11
Income vs. State Median 74
Child Poverty Rate 7
Debt & Delinquency 18.8
Debt in Collections 7
Medical Debt 15
Student Loan Delinquency 9
Auto Loan Delinquency 5
Credit Card Delinquency 25
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 52
Community Vulnerability 14.3
Uninsured Rate 5
Disability Rate 24

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Pope County
Pope County, MN 36.6 Normal —
Swift County, MN 43.5 Normal +6.9
Kandiyohi County, MN 40.8 Normal +4.2
Stearns County, MN 38.2 Normal +1.6
Grant County, MN 35.3 Normal -1.4
Stevens County, MN 25.9 Healthy -10.8
Douglas County, MN 25.9 Healthy -10.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Pope County
Fulton County, OH 36.6 Normal -0.0
Sheridan County, WY 36.6 Normal -0.0
Winona County, MN 36.8 Normal +0.1
San Juan County, WA 36.8 Normal +0.1
Trempealeau County, WI 36.5 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Pope 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 Pope 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 Pope County, Minnesota?

    Pope County has a County Distress Index score of 36.6 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,558th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 43rd in Minnesota out of 87 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Pope County?

    The primary driver of distress in Pope County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 62.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Pope County compare to neighboring counties?

    Pope County (36.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Swift County, MN (43.5); Kandiyohi County, MN (40.8); Stearns County, MN (38.2).

  • 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 Pope County?

    Pope County, Minnesota has a population of approximately 11,400 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.