Clay County, Florida

County Distress Index: Elevated · 50.1 | 232,439 people · 60th most distressed in Florida
American Default Research

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Clay County, FL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 50.1 — 1585th 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 60th 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. Clay County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 72.5 — above the national median.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 72.5
Debt in Collections 69
Medical Debt 72
Student Loan Delinquency 86
Auto Loan Delinquency 57
Credit Card Delinquency 74
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 77
Housing Cost Burden 67.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 85
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 81
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 57
Homeownership Rate 40
Rent-to-Income Ratio 75
Employment & Wages 59.9
Unemployment Rate 76
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 93
Business Formation Rate 10
Community Vulnerability 39.4
Uninsured Rate 51
Disability Rate 28
Income & Poverty 11.2
Poverty Rate 7
Income vs. State Median 15
Child Poverty Rate 12

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Clay County
Clay County, FL 50.1 Elevated —
Putnam County, FL 73.5 Serious +23.4
Bradford County, FL 71.0 Serious +20.9
Duval County, FL 64.9 Elevated +14.8
Baker County, FL 56.5 Elevated +6.3
St. Johns County, FL 34.2 Healthy -16.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Clay County
Reno County, KS 50.2 Elevated +0.0
Sumter County, FL 50.2 Elevated +0.0
Seneca County, OH 50.1 Elevated -0.0
Elkhart County, IN 50.1 Elevated -0.0
Mercer County, PA 50.1 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Clay 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 Clay 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 Clay County, Florida?

    Clay County has a County Distress Index score of 50.1 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,585th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 60th in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Clay County?

    The primary driver of distress in Clay County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 72.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Clay County compare to neighboring counties?

    Clay County (50.1) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Putnam County, FL (73.5); Bradford County, FL (71.0); Duval County, FL (64.9).

  • 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 Clay County?

    Clay County, Florida has a population of approximately 232,439 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.