Hillsborough County, Florida

County Distress Index: Serious · 71.5 | 1,535,564 people · 17th most distressed in Florida
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Hillsborough County — Tampa — is one of Florida's growth success stories on paper. Income ranks better than two-thirds of counties nationally. Business applications pour in at the 98th percentile rate. Population keeps climbing. The composite score of 59.2 tells a less enthusiastic story: Elevated zone, 41st of Florida's 67 counties. Not the worst in the state. Not close to healthy either. Two domains drive the distress. Housing Cost Burden registers at 92.1. More than half of renters are cost-burdened. Owners aren't far behind at 28.8%. Then the debt layer: 71.1. Credit card delinquency hits the 75th percentile. Auto loans: the 68th. Medical debt affects 6.0% of residents, and 11.5% are uninsured — meaning the medical debt pipeline stays open. Bankruptcy filings run at 209 per 100,000, in the highest quarter of counties nationally. Tampa's growth has delivered jobs and population. It has not delivered financial stability for the households filling those jobs. Hardee County, immediately to the east, scores 77.3 (Serious). Polk: 66.5. Pasco: 58.4. Hillsborough sits inside a ring of more distressed counties, absorbing the regional commuter workforce that can't afford to live closer to the economic center.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Hillsborough County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 92.4 — worse than roughly 92% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 92.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 97
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 91
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 85
Homeownership Rate 92
Legal Distress 76.9
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 77
Economic Vitality 72.3
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 84
Rent-to-Income Ratio 97
Business Formation Rate 1
House Price Change (YoY) 76
Consumer Credit Distress 72.2
Debt in Collections 71
Medical Debt 71
Auto Loan Delinquency 68
Credit Card Delinquency 75
Uninsured Rate 74
Subprime Credit Population 74
Structural Poverty 31.3
Unemployment Rate 72
Poverty Rate 47
Income vs. State Median 22
Child Poverty Rate 34
Disability Rate 18
Transfer Income Dependency 14

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Hillsborough County
Hillsborough County, FL 71.5 Serious —
Polk County, FL 79.0 Serious +7.5
Hardee County, FL 78.6 Serious +7.1
Pasco County, FL 65.2 Serious -6.3
Pinellas County, FL 61.0 Elevated -10.5
Manatee County, FL 57.4 Elevated -14.1

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Hillsborough County
Miami-Dade County, FL 70.7 Serious -0.7
Harris County, TX 70.6 Serious -0.9
Tarrant County, TX 72.6 Serious +1.1
Bexar County, TX 73.2 Serious +1.7
Broward County, FL 69.5 Serious -2.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Hillsborough County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Hillsborough County.

CITY OF TAMPA HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIVISION
Tampa
813-274-7992 Website
Pre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education
HOUSING AND EDUCATION ALLIANCE
Tampa
813-932-4663 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFair HousingPre-Lease/Pre-PurchasePre-Purchase
NSC (NACA COUNSELING SUBSIDIARY) - TAMPA, FL
TAMPA
813-287-5051 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFair HousingPost-Purchase
OPERATION HOPE- TAMPA
Tampa
813-867-9658 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingPre-Purchase
REAL ESTATE EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY HOUSING, INC.
TAMPA
561-491-1670 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 Hillsborough 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 Hillsborough County, Florida?

    Hillsborough County has a County Distress Index score of 71.5 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 334th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 17th in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Hillsborough County?

    The primary driver of distress in Hillsborough County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 92.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Hillsborough County compare to neighboring counties?

    Hillsborough County (71.5) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Polk County, FL (79.0); Hardee County, FL (78.6); Pasco County, FL (65.2).

  • 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). Hillsborough County's score of 71.5 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Hillsborough 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 Hillsborough County?

    Hillsborough County, Florida has a population of approximately 1,535,564 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a metro county.