Steele County, Minnesota

County Distress Index: Healthy · 28.7 | 37,421 people · 75th most distressed in Minnesota
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Steele County, MN ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 28.7 — 2932nd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where housing costs consume a moderate share of household income. Within Minnesota, it ranks 75th of 87 counties. It scores lower than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Steele County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 52.9 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 52.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 97
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 69
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 64
Homeownership Rate 19
Rent-to-Income Ratio 15
Employment & Wages 36.2
Unemployment Rate 86
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 22
Business Formation Rate 1
Debt & Delinquency 32.1
Debt in Collections 14
Medical Debt 17
Student Loan Delinquency 15
Auto Loan Delinquency 33
Credit Card Delinquency 40
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 74
Income & Poverty 14.9
Poverty Rate 6
Income vs. State Median 29
Child Poverty Rate 10
Community Vulnerability 7.4
Uninsured Rate 5
Disability Rate 10

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Steele County
Steele County, MN 28.7 Healthy —
Mower County, MN 43.7 Normal +15.0
Freeborn County, MN 40.2 Normal +11.5
Rice County, MN 36.3 Normal +7.6
Waseca County, MN 34.4 Healthy +5.7
Dodge County, MN 31.8 Healthy +3.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Steele County
Yankton County, SD 28.8 Healthy +0.1
Jones County, IA 28.9 Healthy +0.1
Goodhue County, MN 28.9 Healthy +0.2
Richland County, MT 28.9 Healthy +0.2
Piatt County, IL 28.5 Healthy -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Steele 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 Steele 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 Steele County, Minnesota?

    Steele County has a County Distress Index score of 28.7 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,932nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 75th in Minnesota out of 87 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Steele County?

    The primary driver of distress in Steele County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 52.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Steele County compare to neighboring counties?

    Steele County (28.7) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Mower County, MN (43.7); Freeborn County, MN (40.2); Rice County, MN (36.3).

  • 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 Steele County?

    Steele County, Minnesota has a population of approximately 37,421 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.