Glades County, Florida
Above the national median for severe rent burden (50%+).
Main Findings
Glades County, Florida ranks 321st most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 34% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent — above the national median of 18%. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).
- 321st of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 74.7 · high county distress, 24th in Florida.
- 34% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent (U.S. median 18%). Severe rent burden (50%+) at the 95th percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023).
- Unemployment at 6% — national median 4%, ranked at the 92nd percentile. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026).
- Uninsured rate at 20% — national median 8%, ranked at the 95th percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023).
- Credit card delinquency at 8% — national median 5%, ranked at the 85th percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
Neighbors span three CDI score labels. The 20-point drop to Charlotte County marks where the Lake Okeechobee rim distress corridor ends.
Glades County has a high county distress score. The score label gives the intensity; the rank gives the national position.
The CDI gives this county a high county distress label. The rank belongs beside the score because the two answer different questions: score intensity and national position. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Glades County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Glades County's value shown alongside FL's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Glades | FL median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 69 · Rank 890 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 5% | 6% | 5% | 50th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 8% | 7% | 5% | 85th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 29% | 29% | 23% | 74th | Equifax data retrieved via FRED (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 43 · Rank 1,884 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 32% | 28% | 23% | 80th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 39 | 138 | 126 | 6th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 92 · Rank 108 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 27% | 27% | 21% | 89th | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 34% | 25% | 18% | 95th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 92 · Rank 253 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 6% | 5% | 4% | 92nd | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 78 · Rank 462 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 23% | 19% | 18% | 75th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 19% | 17% | 16% | 75th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 17% | 14% | 14% | 72nd | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 20% | 12% | 8% | 95th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
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), Equifax data retrieved via FRED (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 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 Glades County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 133-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
MOORE HAVEN, Fla. — Glades County ranks 321st 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 74.7 out of 100 gives Glades a high county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 320 counties rank more distressed. Within Florida, Glades ranks 24th of 67 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, identifies debt burden (housing basis) as the primary driver in Glades. 34% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent — above the national median of 18%.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Glades County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Glades County's distress score?
How does Glades County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Glades County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →