Brevard County, Florida

County Distress Index: Elevated · 54.8 | 643,979 people · 51st most distressed in Florida
American Default Research

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Brevard County, FL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 54.8 — 1222nd 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 51st of 67 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Brevard County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 75.6 — worse than roughly 76% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 75.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 93
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 91
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 71
Homeownership Rate 36
Rent-to-Income Ratio 86
Debt & Delinquency 58.7
Debt in Collections 52
Medical Debt 76
Student Loan Delinquency 51
Auto Loan Delinquency 52
Credit Card Delinquency 52
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 70
Community Vulnerability 57.8
Uninsured Rate 64
Disability Rate 51
Employment & Wages 55.6
Unemployment Rate 78
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 80
Business Formation Rate 8
Income & Poverty 26.2
Poverty Rate 23
Income vs. State Median 20
Child Poverty Rate 35

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Brevard County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Brevard County
Brevard County, FL 54.8 Elevated —
Volusia County, FL 65.8 Serious +11.1
Osceola County, FL 61.8 Elevated +7.0
Orange County, FL 59.5 Elevated +4.8
Indian River County, FL 56.2 Elevated +1.4
Seminole County, FL 51.1 Elevated -3.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Brevard County
Tulsa County, OK 54.9 Elevated +0.1
St. Clair County, IL 54.6 Elevated -0.2
Jefferson County, AL 54.5 Elevated -0.2
Pulaski County, AR 55.2 Elevated +0.4
Lake County, IN 54.4 Elevated -0.4

Download Data

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

Find Help in Brevard County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Brevard County.

COMMUNITY HOUSING INITIATIVE, INC
Melbourne
321-253-0053 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingHome Improvement/Rehab

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 Brevard 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 Brevard County, Florida?

    Brevard County has a County Distress Index score of 54.8 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,222nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 51st in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Brevard County?

    The primary driver of distress in Brevard County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 75.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Brevard County compare to neighboring counties?

    Brevard County (54.8) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Volusia County, FL (65.8); Osceola County, FL (61.8); Orange County, FL (59.5).

  • 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 Brevard County?

    Brevard County, Florida has a population of approximately 643,979 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.