Hendry County, Florida

County Distress Index: Serious · 77.7 | 43,333 people · 6th most distressed in Florida
American Default Research

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Hendry County, FL shows significant household financial distress with a score of 77.7 — 112th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within Florida, it ranks 6th of 67 counties. It scores higher than all 8 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Hendry County's primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress at 90.9 — worse than roughly 91% of U.S. counties.

Consumer Credit Distress Primary driver 90.9
Debt in Collections 91
Medical Debt 97
Auto Loan Delinquency 75
Credit Card Delinquency 96
Uninsured Rate 97
Subprime Credit Population 93
Structural Poverty 69.6
Unemployment Rate 80
Poverty Rate 91
Income vs. State Median 89
Child Poverty Rate 82
Disability Rate 14
Transfer Income Dependency 60
Legal Distress 68.5
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 68
Housing Cost Burden 64.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 91
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 46
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 46
Homeownership Rate 60
Economic Vitality 60.7
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 69
Rent-to-Income Ratio 91
Business Formation Rate 4
House Price Change (YoY) 33

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Hendry County
Hendry County, FL 77.7 Serious —
Glades County, FL 69.7 Serious -8.0
Broward County, FL 69.5 Serious -8.2
Okeechobee County, FL 68.3 Serious -9.3
Lee County, FL 64.1 Elevated -13.6
Palm Beach County, FL 59.5 Elevated -18.1
Charlotte County, FL 55.4 Elevated -22.3
Collier County, FL 49.8 Normal -27.9
Martin County, FL 45.3 Normal -32.3

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Hendry County
Butts County, GA 77.7 Serious -0.0
Natchitoches Parish, LA 77.5 Serious -0.1
Avoyelles Parish, LA 77.8 Serious +0.2
Hardeman County, TN 77.8 Serious +0.2
Anson County, NC 77.5 Serious -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Hendry 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 Hendry 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 Hendry County, Florida?

    Hendry County has a County Distress Index score of 77.7 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 112th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 6th in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Hendry County?

    The primary driver of distress in Hendry County is Consumer Credit Distress, where the county scores 90.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Auto Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Hendry County compare to neighboring counties?

    Hendry County (77.7) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Glades County, FL (69.7); Broward County, FL (69.5); Okeechobee County, FL (68.3).

  • 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). Hendry County's score of 77.7 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Hendry 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 Hendry County?

    Hendry County, Florida has a population of approximately 43,333 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.