Charlotte County, Florida

County Distress Index: Elevated · 56.2 | 206,134 people · 50th most distressed in Florida
American Default Research

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Charlotte County, FL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 56.2 — 1132nd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where uninsured and disability rates are well above the national average. Within Florida, it ranks 50th of 67 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Charlotte County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 74.5 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 74.5
Uninsured Rate 63
Disability Rate 86
Housing Cost Burden 71.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 98
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 93
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 80
Homeownership Rate 7
Rent-to-Income Ratio 79
Employment & Wages 61.3
Unemployment Rate 88
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 87
Business Formation Rate 9
Debt & Delinquency 48.8
Debt in Collections 32
Medical Debt 31
Student Loan Delinquency 62
Auto Loan Delinquency 50
Credit Card Delinquency 53
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 65
Income & Poverty 25.0
Poverty Rate 13
Income vs. State Median 34
Child Poverty Rate 27

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Charlotte County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Charlotte County
Charlotte County, FL 56.2 Elevated —
DeSoto County, FL 76.2 Serious +20.0
Highlands County, FL 73.5 Serious +17.4
Glades County, FL 68.9 Serious +12.8
Hendry County, FL 68.8 Serious +12.6
Lee County, FL 59.5 Elevated +3.3
Sarasota County, FL 49.5 Normal -6.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Charlotte County
Bedford County, TN 56.2 Elevated +0.0
Harrisonburg city, VA 56.1 Elevated -0.0
DeKalb County, AL 56.1 Elevated -0.1
Indian River County, FL 56.2 Elevated +0.1
Ector County, TX 56.1 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Charlotte 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 Charlotte 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 Charlotte County, Florida?

    Charlotte County has a County Distress Index score of 56.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,132nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 50th in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Charlotte County?

    The primary driver of distress in Charlotte County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 74.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Charlotte County compare to neighboring counties?

    Charlotte County (56.2) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: DeSoto County, FL (76.2); Highlands County, FL (73.5); Glades County, FL (68.9).

  • 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 Charlotte County?

    Charlotte County, Florida has a population of approximately 206,134 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.