In Broward County, Florida, rent on a two-bedroom takes about one in three dollars of the typical household's income
In Broward County, 34.2% of the median household's income would go to rent on a two-bedroom at HUD's fair market rent (HUD and Census Bureau, HUD rent fiscal year 2027; household income 2024). That is higher than in 99% of U.S. counties.
More distressed than 74% of U.S. counties.
What drives Broward County's score
In Broward County, housing costs weigh most: the score for housing costs is 99.0. Rent on a two-bedroom takes 34.2% of the median household's income (fiscal year 2027), higher than in 99% of U.S. counties. Late payments on loans come next, at 70.5.
The County Distress Index combines five things we measure for every county: jobs, late payments on loans, income and the safety net, collections and bankruptcy, and housing costs. Each gets a score from 0 to 100; the higher the score, the worse off the county is compared with others.
Broward County does better than most counties on two measures: people with a disability (11.3%, 2020 to 2024) and median household income ($81,337, 2024).
The five parts count equally; together they hold 14 measures. Under each part, a bar shows where Broward County ranks among all 3,144 U.S. counties on that measure, as a percentile: the share of counties it is higher than. A longer bar means more trouble.
- 99.1 of 100
Housing costs
Biggest factorHUD's fair market rents, fiscal year 2027; renters, 2020–24 Census survey
- Rent on a two-bedroom as a share of the median income34.2% · fiscal year 202799th percentile
- Renters paying half their income or more in rent33.1% · 2020 to 202498th percentile
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- 70.5 of 100
Late payments
Credit records, August 2025; credit scores, Q4 2025
- People with a car or retail loan behind6.2% · August 202564th percentile
- People with a credit card behind7.0% · August 202574th percentile
- People with a subprime credit score29.3% · Q4 202572nd percentile
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- 67.5 of 100
Collections and bankruptcy
Credit records, August 2025; bankruptcy filings, 2025
- People with unpaid debt sent to a collector24.3% · August 202554th percentile
- Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people222.5 · 202580th percentile
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- 48.4 of 100
Jobs
Adults not working, 2020–24 Census survey; unemployment through Aug 2026
- Adults 25 to 54 not working17.8% · 2020 to 202432nd percentile
- Unemployment rate, 12-month average4.4% · Sep 2025 to Aug 202664th percentile
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- 37.1 of 100
Income and safety net
Poverty and income, 2024; disability and insurance, 2020–24 Census survey
- Children below the poverty line14.9% · 202438th percentile
- People with a disability11.3% · 2020 to 20249th percentile
- Median household income (lower income, longer bar)$81,337 · 202418th percentile
- People below the poverty line11.7% · 202437th percentile
- People without health insurance12.5% · 2020 to 202480th percentile
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Sources: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau income; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; Urban Institute, Debt in America; Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. County Distress Index by American Default Research, from data through Aug 2026.
Where the money in Broward County comes from
The Bureau of Economic Analysis adds up all the income that reaches the people of a county and splits it three ways: pay from work, income from investments and rent, and benefit checks.
Cents of every dollar of income, 2024
Broward County
Florida
United States
- Pay from work
- Investments and rent
- Benefit checks
In Broward County in 2024, pay from work was 56 cents of every dollar of income. Income from investments and rentals was 27 cents. Benefit checks were 16 cents. Across the country, pay is 61 cents of the dollar and benefit checks are 18.
Benefit checks have grown from 8 cents of every dollar in 1969, but pay from work still brings in more.
In Broward County, benefit checks rose from 8 to 16 cents of every dollar
Benefit checks and pay from work as shares of all personal income, Broward County, Florida: 16.3% and 56.4% in 2024. Yearly, 1969–2024.
Use this chart Free to use with credit
The quote: In 2024, benefit checks made up 16.3% of all personal income in Broward County, Florida (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAINC4).
Benefit checks are Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid paid on people's behalf, veterans' benefits, and food and income support, so a high share usually means an older population, low pay, or both. In Broward County, 17.9% of residents are 65 or older (Census Bureau, 2024), against 17.2% nationally.
How Broward County has changed
The number of people living in Broward County more than doubled between 1969 and 2024, from 595,651 to 2,037,472. The number of jobs located there grew by about 72% from 1990 to 2024.
Unemployment fell from 5.9% in 1990 to 3.7% in 2025.
| Measure | Then | Now |
|---|---|---|
| People living in the countyBEA | 1969 595,651 | 2024 2,037,472 |
| Jobs located in the countyBLS QCEW | 1990 501,213 | 2024 864,520 |
| Unemployment rateBLS LAUS | 1990 5.9% | 2025 3.7% |
| People below the poverty lineCensus SAIPE | 1989 9.2% | 2024 11.7% |
| Median household income (not adjusted for prices)Census SAIPE | 1989 $27,615 | 2024 $81,337 |
| Share of income from benefit checksBEA | 1969 8.3% | 2024 16.3% |
Figures are as each agency published them, not adjusted for prices. We don't chart the distress score over time because it compares counties at one moment.
Dated events in Broward County's history
Largest decennial census count
The county's largest recorded population was the 2020 Census count of 1,944,375, which is also its most recent census. Census Bureau
1980
Tornado: $25 million in property damage, one death. NOAA Storm Events Database
1998
Tornado: $30 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
1999
Flash flood: $45 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
2005
Hurricane Wilma most damaging storm since 1950; widespread power outages. Wikipedia
2023
Flash flood: $28 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
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Since 1965
42 federal disaster and emergency declarations have covered Broward County, 5 of them for flooding. FEMA
Storms are listed if they did $1 million or more in damage or killed someone.
Broward County beside its neighbors
Of the four counties that border Broward County, one scores higher. For the share of income from benefit checks, Broward County ranks 3rd of the five; Hendry County is highest, at 28.9%.
| County | Score | Poverty | Benefit checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hendry County, FL | 93 | 18.3% | 28.9% |
| Broward County, FL | 74 | 11.7% | 16.3% |
| Miami-Dade County, FL | 72 | 14.2% | 17.8% |
| Palm Beach County, FL | 64 | 11.7% | 11.2% |
| Collier County, FL | 48 | 10.4% | 10.5% |
Distress score: American Default Research, County Distress Index, data through Aug 2026; each county scored against all 3,144. Poverty rate: Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. Benefit checks: Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024. Neighbors share a border, from Census county maps.
Is Broward County the poorest county in Florida?
No, Broward County's poverty rate was 11.7% in 2024, 40th highest of 67 in Florida (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). By that measure the poorest county in the state is Hamilton County, at 25.3%. On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, Broward County ranks 39th of 67 in the state.
Broward County in photographs
Places in Broward County from Wikimedia Commons, each captioned in its photographer's own words.
Courthouse, Broward County, Fort Lauderdale, FL.
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Čeština: Západ slunce v Broward County na Floridě, USA.
Photo: William “Patrick” Ma… via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Broward County, Florida: common questions
What is the poverty rate in Broward County, Florida?
11.7% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates: about one in nine people. Among children it was 14.9%.
Is Broward County the poorest county in Florida?
No, Broward County's poverty rate was 11.7% in 2024, 40th highest of 67 in Florida (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). By that measure the poorest county in the state is Hamilton County, at 25.3%. On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, Broward County ranks 39th of 67 in the state.
What is the population of Broward County, Florida?
About 2,037,472 people in 2024, by the Bureau of Economic Analysis's count. The 2020 Census counted 1,944,375, the most of any census.
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
We rank every U.S. county on 14 federal measures of money trouble, grouped into five equally weighted parts, and average them. The published score is the share of the other 3,143 counties with a lower average. The methodology lists every measure and its source.
If you're behind on your mortgage in Broward County
A U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-approved housing counselor works at a nonprofit agency approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The counseling to avoid foreclosure is free, and a counselor can help you talk to your mortgage company and understand what it offers, according to the Consumer Financial Protection BureauSourceCFPB.
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Consolidated Credit Solutions, Inc.
HUD-approved housing counselor
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Debt Management Credit Counseling Corp
HUD-approved housing counselor
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Hispanic Unity of Florida
HUD-approved housing counselor
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Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida
Legal aid
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HUD-approved housing counselors
Counseling to avoid foreclosure is free. Our help directory lists 1,313 approved agencies by state.
The score, its 14 measures and their sources, in one file. Free to use with credit to American Default Research.
Download the CSV for Broward County · Every U.S. county (CSV)
Sources and method
- American Default Research · County Distress Index Data through Aug 2026, built from HUD Fair Market Rents and Census income; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; Urban Institute, Debt in America; U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. Our methodology
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts (CAINC4) · income shares Where the money in Broward County comes from, 2024.
- History The agencies named in each row and the linked records above.