Watonwan County, Minnesota

County Distress Index: Normal · 38.3 | 11,077 people · 35th most distressed in Minnesota
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Watonwan County, MN falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 38.3 — 2451st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Minnesota, it ranks 35th of 87 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 3 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Watonwan County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 63.8 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 63.8
Unemployment Rate 64
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 43
Business Formation Rate 85
Community Vulnerability 44.6
Uninsured Rate 77
Disability Rate 12
Income & Poverty 37.9
Poverty Rate 21
Income vs. State Median 72
Child Poverty Rate 21
Housing Cost Burden 30.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 23
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 16
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 65
Homeownership Rate 28
Rent-to-Income Ratio 19
Debt & Delinquency 15.1
Debt in Collections 5
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 16
Auto Loan Delinquency 5
Credit Card Delinquency 22
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 36

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Watonwan County
Watonwan County, MN 38.3 Normal —
Martin County, MN 45.4 Normal +7.0
Blue Earth County, MN 42.3 Normal +3.9
Cottonwood County, MN 37.8 Normal -0.6
Brown County, MN 30.9 Healthy -7.4
Jackson County, MN 29.9 Healthy -8.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Watonwan County
Clinton County, IN 38.3 Normal -0.0
Barron County, WI 38.3 Normal -0.0
Carbon County, MT 38.3 Normal -0.1
Shawano County, WI 38.4 Normal +0.1
Ottawa County, OH 38.2 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Watonwan 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 Watonwan 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 →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Watonwan County has a County Distress Index score of 38.3 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,451st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 35th in Minnesota out of 87 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Watonwan County?

    The primary driver of distress in Watonwan County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 63.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Watonwan County compare to neighboring counties?

    Watonwan County (38.3) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Martin County, MN (45.4); Blue Earth County, MN (42.3); Cottonwood County, MN (37.8).

  • 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 Watonwan County?

    Watonwan County, Minnesota has a population of approximately 11,077 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.