Palm Beach County, Florida

County Distress Index: Elevated · 59.5 | 1,533,801 people · 51st most distressed in Florida
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Palm Beach County is where Florida's wealth concentrates. The Income & Poverty domain scores 24.3, meaning household income holds up better than roughly three-quarters of American counties. Median income runs 27% above the state median. Low poverty, strong income, wealthy ZIP codes that distort national rankings. And 57.4% of renters are cost-burdened. That's the 99.6th percentile. Effectively no county in America has a worse renter burden ratio. The Elevated score of 54.5 is the average of two counties living inside one boundary. The income side looks strong. The housing side registers 90.9 — cost-burdened renters, cost-burdened owners, and a rent-to-income ratio at the 97.5th percentile. Medical debt affects 3.2% of residents, and 13.2% are uninsured, adding a vulnerability layer. Debt & Delinquency sits right at the median, meaning collections and default rates are unremarkable nationally. The distress here isn't about falling behind on payments. It's about the cost of staying current. The neighbors clarify the geography. Okeechobee County: 70.7 (Serious). Glades: 68.9. Hendry: 68.8. Palm Beach is the wealthiest point in a region where everything around it scores Serious. The wealth corridor ends at the county line.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Palm Beach County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 93.2 — worse than roughly 93% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 93.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 99
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 99
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 89
Homeownership Rate 71
Economic Vitality 76.3
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 92
Rent-to-Income Ratio 97
Business Formation Rate 1
House Price Change (YoY) 79
Legal Distress 59.5
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 59
Consumer Credit Distress 50.8
Debt in Collections 40
Medical Debt 45
Auto Loan Delinquency 53
Credit Card Delinquency 54
Uninsured Rate 82
Subprime Credit Population 49
Structural Poverty 23.7
Unemployment Rate 72
Poverty Rate 27
Income vs. State Median 13
Child Poverty Rate 33
Disability Rate 18
Transfer Income Dependency 3

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Palm Beach County
Palm Beach County, FL 59.5 Elevated —
Hendry County, FL 77.7 Serious +18.1
Glades County, FL 69.7 Serious +10.1
Broward County, FL 69.5 Serious +9.9
Okeechobee County, FL 68.3 Serious +8.8
Martin County, FL 45.3 Normal -14.2

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Palm Beach County
Kings County, NY 58.6 Elevated -0.9
Maricopa County, AZ 60.7 Elevated +1.2
Los Angeles County, CA 58.3 Elevated -1.2
Cook County, IL 57.7 Elevated -1.8
Mecklenburg County, NC 57.6 Elevated -1.9

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Palm Beach County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Palm Beach County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Palm Beach County.

CREDIT CARD MGMT SVCS, INC DBA REVERSEMORTGAGEHELPER.ORG AND DEBTHELPER.COM
West Palm Beach
561-472-8000 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling
GATEWAY TO HOUSING
Delray Beach
561-536-8503
Financial CounselingPre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education
HOUSING FOUNDATION OF AMERICA - LAKE WORTH FLORIDA
Lake Worth
561-713-1457 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling
HOUSING PARTNERSHIP, INC.
Riviera Beach
561-841-3500
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingPost-Purchase
REAL ESTATE, EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY HOUSING, INC.
West Palm Beach
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 Palm Beach 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 Palm Beach County, Florida?

    Palm Beach County has a County Distress Index score of 59.5 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 986th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 51st in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Palm Beach County?

    The primary driver of distress in Palm Beach County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 93.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Palm Beach County compare to neighboring counties?

    Palm Beach County (59.5) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Hendry County, FL (77.7); Glades County, FL (69.7); Broward County, FL (69.5).

  • 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 Elevated 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). Palm Beach County's score of 59.5 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

  • What data sources power Palm Beach County's CDI score?

    Palm Beach 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 Palm Beach County?

    Palm Beach County, Florida has a population of approximately 1,533,801 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a metro county.