Baker County, Florida

County Distress Index: Elevated · 56.5 | 28,368 people · 48th most distressed in Florida
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Baker County, FL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 56.5 — 1113th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within Florida, it ranks 48th of 67 counties. Among its 9 neighboring counties, 7 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Baker County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 73.7 — above the national median.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 73.7
Debt in Collections 82
Medical Debt 66
Student Loan Delinquency 85
Auto Loan Delinquency 68
Credit Card Delinquency 79
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 63
Employment & Wages 58.2
Unemployment Rate 72
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 78
Business Formation Rate 25
Community Vulnerability 55.2
Uninsured Rate 67
Disability Rate 43
Housing Cost Burden 48.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 91
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 89
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 27
Homeownership Rate 7
Rent-to-Income Ratio 29
Income & Poverty 46.6
Poverty Rate 41
Income vs. State Median 41
Child Poverty Rate 58

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Baker County compares to its 9 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Baker County
Baker County, FL 56.5 Elevated —
Charlton County, GA 76.1 Serious +19.7
Ware County, GA 75.3 Serious +18.8
Bradford County, FL 71.0 Serious +14.6
Columbia County, FL 70.7 Serious +14.3
Clinch County, GA 67.4 Serious +11.0
Duval County, FL 64.9 Elevated +8.4
Union County, FL 62.6 Elevated +6.2
Clay County, FL 50.1 Elevated -6.3
Nassau County, FL 47.1 Normal -9.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Baker County
Jasper County, GA 56.4 Elevated -0.0
Massac County, IL 56.5 Elevated +0.0
Butler County, KY 56.5 Elevated +0.0
Person County, NC 56.5 Elevated +0.1
Nicholas County, WV 56.4 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Baker 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 Baker 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 →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Baker County, Florida?

    Baker County has a County Distress Index score of 56.5 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,113th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 48th in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Baker County?

    The primary driver of distress in Baker County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 73.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Baker County compare to neighboring counties?

    Baker County (56.5) can be compared to its 9 neighboring counties: Charlton County, GA (76.1); Ware County, GA (75.3); Bradford County, FL (71.0).

  • 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 Baker County?

    Baker County, Florida has a population of approximately 28,368 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.