Charlotte County, Florida

County Distress Index: Elevated · 55.4 | 206,134 people · 56th most distressed in Florida
American Default Research

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Charlotte County, FL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 55.4 — 1249th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Florida, it ranks 56th of 67 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Charlotte County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 80.0 — worse than roughly 80% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 80.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 99
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 93
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 80
Homeownership Rate 7
Economic Vitality 71.9
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 87
Rent-to-Income Ratio 79
Business Formation Rate 9
House Price Change (YoY) 99
Legal Distress 65.2
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 65
Structural Poverty 53.9
Unemployment Rate 88
Poverty Rate 13
Income vs. State Median 34
Child Poverty Rate 27
Disability Rate 86
Transfer Income Dependency 76
Consumer Credit Distress 39.6
Debt in Collections 32
Medical Debt 31
Auto Loan Delinquency 50
Credit Card Delinquency 53
Uninsured Rate 63
Subprime Credit Population 25

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Charlotte County
Charlotte County, FL 55.4 Elevated —
Hendry County, FL 77.7 Serious +22.3
DeSoto County, FL 74.9 Serious +19.5
Highlands County, FL 72.1 Serious +16.7
Glades County, FL 69.7 Serious +14.3
Lee County, FL 64.1 Elevated +8.7
Sarasota County, FL 48.0 Normal -7.4

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Charlotte County
Johnston County, NC 55.5 Elevated +0.1
Madison County, MS 55.3 Elevated -0.1
Huron County, OH 55.3 Elevated -0.1
Coweta County, GA 55.3 Elevated -0.1
Effingham County, GA 55.5 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Charlotte County

Find an Attorney

The Florida Bar — Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

The Florida Bar — Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-342-8011

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Charlotte County residents at no cost.

Florida Rural Legal Services (FRLS) 1-239-334-4554
Legal Services of Greater Miami (LSGMI) 1-305-576-0080
Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida 1-954-736-2400
Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida (CLSMF) 1-800-405-1417
Bay Area Legal Services 1-800-625-2257
Legal Services of North Florida 1-850-385-9007
Three Rivers Legal Services 1-866-256-8091

Self-Help Resources

The Florida Bar — Foreclosure Crisis Help for Consumers Official Florida Bar resource page for homeowners facing foreclosure, including information on finding an attorney, legal aid referrals, and understanding the foreclosure process.
Florida Courts — Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Cases Florida Supreme Court page with information on residential mortgage foreclosure cases, including links to administrative orders, mediation resources, and the Managed Mediation program.
Florida AG — Resources Available to Distressed Homeowners Florida Attorney General's office page with resources for distressed homeowners, including information on mortgage fraud, foreclosure rescue scams, and how to file complaints.
Florida LawHelp Statewide legal aid directory connecting Floridians with free legal information and local legal aid providers for foreclosure prevention and other civil legal needs.

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 Florida →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Charlotte County, Florida?

    Charlotte County has a County Distress Index score of 55.4 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,249th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 56th in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Charlotte County?

    The primary driver of distress in Charlotte County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 80.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Charlotte County compare to neighboring counties?

    Charlotte County (55.4) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Hendry County, FL (77.7); DeSoto County, FL (74.9); Highlands County, FL (72.1).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses PCA-weighted percentile scoring across five statistically derived factors: Consumer Credit Distress (47.5%), Housing Cost Burden (22.3%), Structural Poverty (13.6%), Economic Vitality (9.2%), and Legal Distress (7.4%). 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.

  • How often is the CDI updated?

    Annually, aligned to Census American Community Survey and Urban Institute Debt in America release windows — the slowest-moving source inputs. Between annual refreshes, faster-cadence indicators (BLS unemployment, QCEW wages) may drive light mid-year updates if a specific component moves meaningfully. Current data compiled April 14, 2026; next full refresh early 2027.

  • What does the Elevated zone mean?

    The CDI divides counties into five zones: Healthy (below 46), Normal (46–55), Elevated (55–71), Serious (71–86), and Crisis (86 and above). Charlotte County's score of 55.4 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

  • What data sources power Charlotte County's CDI score?

    Charlotte County's CDI score draws on Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax credit-bureau panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS, QCEW), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Every number on this page traces to one of these public sources.

  • What is the population of Charlotte County?

    Charlotte County, Florida has a population of approximately 206,134 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.