Waseca County, Minnesota

County Distress Index: Healthy · 34.4 | 18,981 people · 55th most distressed in Minnesota
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Waseca County, MN ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 34.4 — 2678th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Minnesota, it ranks 55th 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. Waseca County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 60.0 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 60.0
Unemployment Rate 83
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 17
Business Formation Rate 80
Housing Cost Burden 38.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 40
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 29
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 91
Homeownership Rate 22
Rent-to-Income Ratio 8
Debt & Delinquency 36.8
Debt in Collections 22
Medical Debt 19
Student Loan Delinquency 73
Auto Loan Delinquency 8
Credit Card Delinquency 31
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 68
Income & Poverty 26.6
Poverty Rate 16
Income vs. State Median 53
Child Poverty Rate 11
Community Vulnerability 10.6
Uninsured Rate 6
Disability Rate 15

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Waseca County
Waseca County, MN 34.4 Healthy —
Blue Earth County, MN 42.3 Normal +7.8
Faribault County, MN 40.2 Normal +5.8
Freeborn County, MN 40.2 Normal +5.8
Rice County, MN 36.3 Normal +1.8
Le Sueur County, MN 35.2 Normal +0.8
Steele County, MN 28.7 Healthy -5.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Waseca County
Harrison County, IN 34.5 Healthy +0.0
Pike County, IN 34.6 Healthy +0.1
Renville County, MN 34.6 Healthy +0.2
Carroll County, IN 34.7 Healthy +0.2
Union County, PA 34.7 Healthy +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Waseca 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 Waseca 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

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Waseca County has a County Distress Index score of 34.4 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,678th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 55th in Minnesota out of 87 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Waseca County?

    The primary driver of distress in Waseca County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 60.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Waseca County compare to neighboring counties?

    Waseca County (34.4) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Blue Earth County, MN (42.3); Faribault County, MN (40.2); Freeborn County, MN (40.2).

  • 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 Waseca County?

    Waseca County, Minnesota has a population of approximately 18,981 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.