Scott County, Minnesota

County Distress Index: Healthy · 26.5 | 155,814 people · 80th most distressed in Minnesota
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Scott County, MN ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 26.5 — 2999th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Minnesota, it ranks 80th 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. Scott County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 57.7 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 57.7
Unemployment Rate 52
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 88
Business Formation Rate 33
Housing Cost Burden 53.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 81
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 65
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 93
Homeownership Rate 4
Rent-to-Income Ratio 23
Debt & Delinquency 17.3
Debt in Collections 4
Medical Debt 14
Student Loan Delinquency 8
Auto Loan Delinquency 5
Credit Card Delinquency 5
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 68
Community Vulnerability 2.9
Uninsured Rate 4
Disability Rate 2
Income & Poverty 1.7
Poverty Rate 1
Income vs. State Median 3
Child Poverty Rate 1

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Scott County
Scott County, MN 26.5 Healthy —
Rice County, MN 36.3 Normal +9.7
Le Sueur County, MN 35.2 Normal +8.7
Hennepin County, MN 31.6 Healthy +5.0
Dakota County, MN 30.5 Healthy +3.9
Sibley County, MN 30.2 Healthy +3.7
Carver County, MN 22.3 Healthy -4.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Scott County
Hunterdon County, NJ 26.6 Healthy +0.1
Hanover County, VA 26.8 Healthy +0.3
Medina County, OH 26.9 Healthy +0.3
St. Croix County, WI 25.9 Healthy -0.7
Cole County, MO 27.2 Healthy +0.7

Download Data

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

Find Help in Scott County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Scott County.

SCOTT COUNTY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
Shakopee
952-402-9022 Website
Foreclosure PreventionPre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education

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 Scott 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 →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Scott County, Minnesota?

    Scott County has a County Distress Index score of 26.5 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,999th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 80th in Minnesota out of 87 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Scott County?

    The primary driver of distress in Scott County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 57.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Scott County compare to neighboring counties?

    Scott County (26.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Rice County, MN (36.3); Le Sueur County, MN (35.2); Hennepin County, MN (31.6).

  • 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 Scott County?

    Scott County, Minnesota has a population of approximately 155,814 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.