St. Lucie County, Florida

County Distress Index: Serious · 70.2 | 373,586 people · 20th most distressed in Florida
American Default Research

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St. Lucie County, FL shows significant household financial distress with a score of 70.2 — 380th 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 20th of 67 counties. It scores higher than all 3 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. St. Lucie County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 86.3 — worse than roughly 86% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 86.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 99
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 96
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 90
Homeownership Rate 31
Legal Distress 85.0
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 85
Economic Vitality 79.2
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 96
Rent-to-Income Ratio 97
Business Formation Rate 3
House Price Change (YoY) 88
Consumer Credit Distress 66.0
Debt in Collections 61
Medical Debt 52
Auto Loan Delinquency 61
Credit Card Delinquency 75
Uninsured Rate 78
Subprime Credit Population 73
Structural Poverty 44.2
Unemployment Rate 83
Poverty Rate 24
Income vs. State Median 49
Child Poverty Rate 20
Disability Rate 44
Transfer Income Dependency 46

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. St. Lucie County
St. Lucie County, FL 70.2 Serious —
Okeechobee County, FL 68.3 Serious -1.9
Indian River County, FL 53.0 Elevated -17.2
Martin County, FL 45.3 Normal -24.8

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. St. Lucie County
Pulaski County, AR 70.0 Serious -0.2
Volusia County, FL 69.8 Serious -0.4
Kern County, CA 69.7 Serious -0.5
Jefferson Parish, LA 70.9 Serious +0.8
McLennan County, TX 71.1 Serious +0.9

Download Data

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

Find Help in St. Lucie 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 St. Lucie 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. Lucie County, Florida?

    St. Lucie County has a County Distress Index score of 70.2 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 380th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 20th in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in St. Lucie County?

    The primary driver of distress in St. Lucie County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 86.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

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

    St. Lucie County (70.2) can be compared to its 3 neighboring counties: Okeechobee County, FL (68.3); Indian River County, FL (53.0); Martin County, FL (45.3).

  • 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). St. Lucie County's score of 70.2 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    St. Lucie 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. Lucie County?

    St. Lucie County, Florida has a population of approximately 373,586 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.