St. Johns County, Florida

County Distress Index: Normal · 40.7 | 320,110 people · 67th most distressed in Florida
American Default Research

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St. Johns County, FL falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 40.7 — 2148th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Florida, it ranks 67th of 67 counties. It scores lower than all 4 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. St. Johns County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 82.0 — worse than roughly 82% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 82.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 99
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 95
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 86
Homeownership Rate 10
Economic Vitality 54.9
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 88
Rent-to-Income Ratio 25
Business Formation Rate 4
House Price Change (YoY) 75
Legal Distress 52.9
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 53
Consumer Credit Distress 24.9
Debt in Collections 19
Medical Debt 46
Auto Loan Delinquency 22
Credit Card Delinquency 21
Uninsured Rate 34
Subprime Credit Population 19
Structural Poverty 12.4
Unemployment Rate 72
Poverty Rate 1
Income vs. State Median 3
Child Poverty Rate 1
Disability Rate 8
Transfer Income Dependency 5

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. St. Johns County
St. Johns County, FL 40.7 Normal —
Duval County, FL 77.4 Serious +36.7
Putnam County, FL 75.1 Serious +34.4
Clay County, FL 64.2 Elevated +23.5
Flagler County, FL 59.9 Elevated +19.2

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. St. Johns County
Larimer County, CO 40.7 Normal +0.0
Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, CT 40.6 Normal -0.1
Anne Arundel County, MD 40.9 Normal +0.2
Westchester County, NY 41.0 Normal +0.3
Snohomish County, WA 41.0 Normal +0.3

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for St. Johns County as a CSV file.

Find Help in St. Johns County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near St. Johns County.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
St Augustine
904-209-6062 Website
Financial CounselingFinancial CounselingPost-PurchasePre-Purchase

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 St. Johns 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 St. Johns County, Florida?

    St. Johns County has a County Distress Index score of 40.7 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,148th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 67th in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in St. Johns County?

    The primary driver of distress in St. Johns County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 82.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does St. Johns County compare to neighboring counties?

    St. Johns County (40.7) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Duval County, FL (77.4); Putnam County, FL (75.1); Clay County, FL (64.2).

  • 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 Normal 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). St. Johns County's score of 40.7 sits in the Normal zone (46–55).

  • What data sources power St. Johns County's CDI score?

    St. Johns 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 St. Johns County?

    St. Johns County, Florida has a population of approximately 320,110 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.