#2,229 Minnesota · 2026

Todd County, Minnesota

38.4 · low-moderate county distress 2,229th of 3,144 counties nationally · 25,667 residents How this is calculated →
The headline number
5% Todd residents
vs.
4% U.S. median

Above the national median for unemployment — and 4.6× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Loving County, TX — 1%).

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026)

Main Findings

Wire lede · 31 words · paste-ready

Todd County, Minnesota ranks 2,229th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. Todd sits near the national median across major distress indicators. Its highest-scoring domain is Labor.

Key Findings
  • 2,229th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 38.4 · low-moderate county distress, 31st in Minnesota.
  • 5% of the labor force is unemployed (U.S. median 4%). Unemployment at the 77th percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026).
  • Uninsured rate at 9% — national median 8%, ranked at the 61st percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023).
  • Debt Burden (housing basis) domain score 33 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
  • Delinquency domain score 23 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
Distinctive Signals
Boundary Signal

Neighbors span two CDI score labels. The 28-point drop to Douglas County marks where the Minnesota distress corridor ends.

County Distress Index cluster map. Todd County, Minnesota and its neighbors colored by county distress score label.
Todd and its 6 geographic neighbors, graded by County Distress Index score. Todd County ranks 2,229th of 3,144. American Default Research
Wire summary — paste-ready, any angle 20 words

Todd County has a low-moderate county distress score. The CDI reading is a county comparison, separate from national ADI bands.

— American Default Research
Index note — for feature use 32 words

The CDI gives this county a low-moderate county distress label. The label comes from the score, while the rank compares the county with the current national cross-section. Its highest-scoring domain is Labor.

— American Default Research

Indicator History

Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.

Updated Jul 1, 2026
BLS 1990 to 2025

Unemployment rate

5.3% -2.4 pp since 1990
Census 1989 to 2024

Poverty rate

10.5% -7.6 pp since 1989
BEA 1969 to 2024

Transfer income share

25.8% +11.3 pp since 1969
FRED/Equifax 2014 Q2 to 2025 Q4

Subprime credit population

15.5% -6.5 pp since 2014 Q2

The Indicators Behind Todd County's CDI Score

Every number traces to a public source. Todd County's value shown alongside MN's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.

How to read the table. A domain score is a 0–100 composite of the indicators in that domain; higher values represent a higher mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles. A county's domain rank is computed separately against all counties. Percentile is Todd County's national rank among all 3,144 U.S. counties for that indicator, always oriented so higher = more distressed.
Indicator Todd MN median U.S. median Pctile Source
Delinquency — domain score 23 · Rank 2,483 of 3,144
Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due 4% 3% 5% 29th Urban Institute Debt in America (2025)
Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due 4% 3% 5% 26th Urban Institute Debt in America (2025)
Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 16% 16% 23% 14th Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025)
Default & Legal — domain score 18 · Rank 2,835 of 3,144
Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections 12% 12% 23% 10th Urban Institute Debt in America (2025)
Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 82 132 126 26th Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025)
Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 33 · Rank 2,312 of 3,144
Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income 19% 18% 21% 30th HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023)
Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent 16% 19% 18% 36th U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023)
Labor — domain score 77 · Rank 673 of 3,144
Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed 5% 4% 4% 77th U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026)
Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 41 · Rank 1,944 of 3,144
Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line 14% 11% 18% 32nd U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023)
Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability 13% 13% 16% 21st U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023)
Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line 12% 10% 14% 35th U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023)
Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage 9% 5% 8% 61st U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023)
Data compiled May 2026 from Urban Institute Debt in America (2025 panel), U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-yr 2023, SAIPE 2023, Business Formation Statistics 2024), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS May 2026, QCEW 2024), Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (F-5A bankruptcy filings 2025), and HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2026).

Five-Domain Breakdown

The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.

Labor Primary driver 77
Weight 20% · Rank 673 of 3,144
Safety Net & Buffer 41
Weight 20% · Rank 1,944 of 3,144
Debt Burden (housing basis) 33
Weight 20% · Rank 2,312 of 3,144
Delinquency 23
Weight 20% · Rank 2,483 of 3,144
Default & Legal 18
Weight 20% · Rank 2,835 of 3,144

Methodology

The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.

Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), FRED/Equifax (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2022 to 2026 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.

For Press & Research

Everything you need to cite Todd County data — in under 60 seconds.

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Press contact: Ross Kilburn · press@americandefault.org · (307) 264-2992 · same-day response, 9am–6pm ET
Draft wire copy 125-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
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LONG PRAIRIE, Minn. — Todd County ranks 2,229th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.

The composite score of 38.4 out of 100 gives Todd a low-moderate county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 2,228 counties rank more distressed. Within Minnesota, Todd ranks 31st of 87 counties.

The index, which draws on 13 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, finds Todd sitting near the national median across major distress indicators, with no single domain emerging as a clear driver.

American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.

Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.

— 30 —

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Todd County's CDI score, and what does it mean?

Todd County scores 38.4 out of 100 on the County Distress Index, with the score label low-moderate county distress. It ranks 2,229th of 3,144 U.S. counties and 31st of 87 Minnesota counties. Higher county scores indicate more distress.

What drives Todd County's distress score?

The highest-scoring domain is Labor, at a domain score of 77. Unemployment ranks at the 77th percentile nationally.

How does Todd County compare to its neighbors?

Todd County's neighbors span two CDI score labels. Highest-distress neighbor: Wadena County (49.60, moderate-low county distress). Lowest: Douglas County (21.64, low county distress).

How is the County Distress Index calculated?

The CDI is a 0–100 composite of 13 source indicators across five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Data comes from Urban Institute, Census Bureau, BLS, U.S. Courts, HUD, and related public sources. Full methodology →
Ross Kilburn
Written by

Ross Kilburn, Founder

Founder · American Default Research · Seattle, Washington

Two decades working directly with financially distressed American households — from property preservation in 2003, to negotiating over 1,000 short sales during the Great Recession, to foreclosure defense marketing today. Author, The Ark Law Group Complete Guide to Short Sales (Auroch Press, 2013). Founded American Default Research in 2026.

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