Alachua County, Florida

County Distress Index: Elevated · 57.8 | 285,994 people · 45th most distressed in Florida
American Default Research

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Alachua County, FL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 57.8 — 1006th 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 45th of 67 counties. It scores lower than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Alachua County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 89.8 — worse than roughly 90% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 89.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 99
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 99
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 60
Homeownership Rate 97
Rent-to-Income Ratio 94
Income & Poverty 65.5
Poverty Rate 80
Income vs. State Median 68
Child Poverty Rate 48
Employment & Wages 56.6
Unemployment Rate 86
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 71
Business Formation Rate 13
Debt & Delinquency 46.7
Debt in Collections 52
Medical Debt 26
Student Loan Delinquency 60
Auto Loan Delinquency 60
Credit Card Delinquency 52
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 30
Community Vulnerability 30.5
Uninsured Rate 47
Disability Rate 14

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Alachua County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Alachua County
Alachua County, FL 57.8 Elevated —
Putnam County, FL 73.5 Serious +15.7
Bradford County, FL 71.0 Serious +13.2
Columbia County, FL 70.7 Serious +12.9
Marion County, FL 68.7 Serious +10.9
Levy County, FL 67.1 Serious +9.2
Union County, FL 62.6 Elevated +4.8
Gilchrist County, FL 60.8 Elevated +3.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Alachua County
Bristol County, MA 57.9 Elevated +0.0
Pinellas County, FL 57.7 Elevated -0.1
Lane County, OR 58.0 Elevated +0.2
Mobile County, AL 58.0 Elevated +0.2
Lake County, FL 58.1 Elevated +0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Alachua County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Alachua County.

NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING & DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Gainesville
352-380-9119
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingPre-Purchase
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA/FLORIDA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION
Gainesville
352-392-1761 Website
Financial CounselingFinancial CounselingHome Improvement/RehabPost-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 Alachua 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 Alachua County, Florida?

    Alachua County has a County Distress Index score of 57.8 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,006th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 45th in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Alachua County?

    The primary driver of distress in Alachua County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 89.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Alachua County compare to neighboring counties?

    Alachua County (57.8) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Putnam County, FL (73.5); Bradford County, FL (71.0); Columbia County, FL (70.7).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. 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.

  • What is the population of Alachua County?

    Alachua County, Florida has a population of approximately 285,994 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.