Duval County, Florida

County Distress Index: Serious · 77.4 | 1,030,822 people · 7th most distressed in Florida
American Default Research

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Jacksonville doesn't get the attention that Miami or Tampa do when people talk about Florida's affordability problem. It should. Duval County scores 64.9 (Elevated), the highest in this batch of ten. Every domain registers above 49. One in three residents has debt in collections. Credit card delinquency hits the 86th percentile nationally. The insurance-to-credit-card-to-mortgage pipeline that defines Florida's state profile is running at full speed here. The housing burden score is 91.0. The debt and delinquency score is 82.4. Those two numbers together tell you that Jacksonville's growth — people arriving for affordability compared to South Florida — hasn't produced the stability the move was supposed to create. Auto loan delinquency ranks at the 84th percentile. Student loan delinquency at the 83rd. The distress isn't concentrated in one type of debt. It's everywhere. St. Johns County, directly to the south, scores 34.2 (Healthy). That's a 31-point gap across a county line. Baker County to the west hits 56.5. Clay County, 50.1. Nassau County to the north, 47.1. Jacksonville is the epicenter, and the gradient radiates outward. The county ranks 31st of 67 Florida counties. For a city that markets itself as North Florida's affordable alternative, 31st out of 67 for distress is not the math anyone expected.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Duval County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 91.0 — worse than roughly 91% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 91.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 95
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 87
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 86
Homeownership Rate 94
Consumer Credit Distress 82.9
Debt in Collections 82
Medical Debt 79
Auto Loan Delinquency 84
Credit Card Delinquency 86
Uninsured Rate 74
Subprime Credit Population 85
Legal Distress 79.2
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 79
Economic Vitality 65.8
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 70
Rent-to-Income Ratio 93
Business Formation Rate 3
House Price Change (YoY) 86
Structural Poverty 43.3
Unemployment Rate 76
Poverty Rate 58
Income vs. State Median 41
Child Poverty Rate 53
Disability Rate 28
Transfer Income Dependency 21

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Duval County
Duval County, FL 77.4 Serious —
Baker County, FL 67.7 Serious -9.7
Clay County, FL 64.2 Elevated -13.3
Nassau County, FL 49.0 Normal -28.4
St. Johns County, FL 40.7 Normal -36.7

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Duval County
Clark County, NV 76.5 Serious -1.0
Wayne County, MI 76.2 Serious -1.3
Bronx County, NY 79.7 Serious +2.3
Orange County, FL 73.9 Serious -3.6
Dallas County, TX 73.7 Serious -3.7

Download Data

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

Find Help in Duval County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Duval County.

CREDIT.ORG - JACKSONVILLE, FL BRANCH
Jacksonville
904-586-3157 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingPre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education
JACKSONVILLE AREA LEGAL AID, INC.
Jacksonville
904-356-8371 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFair HousingHomeless/Displacement
NSC (NACA COUNSELING SUBSIDIARY) - JACKSONVILLE, FL
Jacksonville
904-306-9272 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFair HousingPost-Purchase
WEALTH WATCHERS, INC
Jacksonville
904-265-4736 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling

See all counselors in Florida →

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 Duval 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 Duval County, Florida?

    Duval County has a County Distress Index score of 77.4 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 118th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 7th in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Duval County?

    The primary driver of distress in Duval County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 91.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Duval County compare to neighboring counties?

    Duval County (77.4) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Baker County, FL (67.7); Clay County, FL (64.2); Nassau County, FL (49.0).

  • 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 Serious 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). Duval County's score of 77.4 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Duval 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 Duval County?

    Duval County, Florida has a population of approximately 1,030,822 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a metro county.