Miami-Dade County, Florida
Above the national median for rent-to-income ratio — and 3.4× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Steele County, ND — 12%).
Main Findings
Miami-Dade County, Florida ranks 690th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: a rent-to-income ratio of 41% — above the national median of 21%.
- 690th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Second-most distressed fifth, 45th in Florida.
- A rent-to-income ratio of 41% (U.S. median 21%). Rent-to-income ratio at the 100th percentile nationally.
- Subprime credit share at 33% — national median 23%, ranked at the 82nd percentile.
- Bankruptcy filing rate at 283 — national median 126, ranked at the 89th percentile.
- Uninsured rate at 14% — national median 8%, ranked at the 86th percentile.
Neighbors span two CDI distress fifths. The 20-point drop to Monroe County marks where the South Florida distress corridor ends.
"Miami-Dade County ranks in the second-most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The score is above the national county midpoint, with the domain table showing the local pressure mix."
"The CDI places this county in the second-most distressed fifth nationally. The county sits above the median distress position, with the five-domain profile showing which local pressures carry the score."
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
Miami-Dade County's disability rate indicator is at the 6th percentile — while every other indicator in the safety_net_buffer domain sits at or above the 14th percentile. The gap stands out against EITC % of returns and SNAP rate. Worth a call to Urban Institute or a local credit counselor in Miami.
The Indicators Behind Miami-Dade County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Miami-Dade County's value shown alongside FL's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Miami-Dade | FL median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 76 · Rank 654 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 7% | 6% | 5% | 69th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 7% | 7% | 5% | 77th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 33% | 29% | 23% | 82nd | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 70 · Rank 724 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 24% | 28% | 23% | 52nd | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 283 | 138 | 126 | 89th | US Courts F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 99 · Rank 3 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 41% | 27% | 21% | 100th | HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 32% | 25% | 18% | 99th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 31 · Rank 2,099 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 3% | 5% | 4% | 31st | BLS LAUS (Dec 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 52 · Rank 1,503 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 17% | 19% | 18% | 46th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 10% | 17% | 16% | 6th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 14% | 14% | 14% | 55th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers | 18% | 27% | 27% | 14th | BEA Regional Personal Income (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 14% | 12% | 8% | 86th | Census ACS 5-yr (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), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Business Formation Statistics), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2023 to 2025 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Miami-Dade County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 151-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
MIAMI, Fla. — Miami-Dade County ranks 690th 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 66 out of 100 places Miami-Dade in the second-most distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 689 counties rank more distressed. Within Florida, Miami-Dade ranks 45th of 67 counties.
The index, which draws on 16 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 Miami-Dade. A rent-to-income ratio of 41% — above the national median of 21%.
"Miami-Dade County ranks in the second-most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The score is above the national county midpoint, with the domain table showing the local pressure mix," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Miami-Dade County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Miami-Dade County's distress score?
How does Miami-Dade County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Miami-Dade County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →