Broward County, Florida
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Broward County. Population: 1,962,531 (metro).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Broward County, FL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 59.1 — 905th 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 42nd of 67 counties. Among its 4 neighboring counties, 3 show less distress.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Broward County compares to all U.S. counties across five dimensions of financial distress. Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.
Housing Cost Burden
Primary DriverDebt & Delinquency
Employment & Wages
Community Vulnerability
Income & Poverty
How Broward County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broward County, FL | 59.1 | Elevated | — |
| Hendry County, FL | 68.8 | Serious Stress | +9.7 |
| Miami-Dade County, FL | 57.5 | Elevated | -1.6 |
| Palm Beach County, FL | 54.5 | Elevated | -4.5 |
| Collier County, FL | 47.7 | Normal | -11.4 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (metro) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harris County, TX | 59.2 | Elevated | +0.1 |
| Hillsborough County, FL | 59.2 | Elevated | +0.2 |
| Orange County, FL | 59.5 | Elevated | +0.5 |
| Dallas County, TX | 60.3 | Elevated | +1.3 |
| Miami-Dade County, FL | 57.5 | Elevated | -1.6 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Broward County as a CSV file.
Resources
Broward County scores in the Elevated zone. If you or someone you know is experiencing financial hardship, free help is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for Broward County, Florida?
Broward County has a County Distress Index score of 59.1 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 905th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 42nd in Florida out of 67 counties.
What drives financial distress in Broward County?
The primary driver of distress in Broward County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 96.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).
How does Broward County compare to neighboring counties?
Broward County (59.1) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Hendry County, FL (68.8); Miami-Dade County, FL (57.5); Palm Beach County, FL (54.5).
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 Broward County?
Broward County, Florida has a population of approximately 1,962,531 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a metro county.