Gilchrist County, Florida

County Distress Index: Elevated · 60.8 | 19,587 people · 36th most distressed in Florida
American Default Research

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Gilchrist County, FL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 60.8 — 770th 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 36th 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. Gilchrist County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 85.4 — worse than roughly 85% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 85.4
Uninsured Rate 88
Disability Rate 82
Employment & Wages 66.2
Unemployment Rate 80
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 95
Business Formation Rate 23
Income & Poverty 63.5
Poverty Rate 49
Income vs. State Median 84
Child Poverty Rate 57
Debt & Delinquency 58.6
Debt in Collections 68
Medical Debt 29
Student Loan Delinquency 71
Auto Loan Delinquency 60
Credit Card Delinquency 81
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 42
Housing Cost Burden 30.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 9
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 16
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 26
Homeownership Rate 6
Rent-to-Income Ratio 95

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Gilchrist County
Gilchrist County, FL 60.8 Elevated —
Dixie County, FL 72.1 Serious +11.3
Columbia County, FL 70.7 Serious +9.9
Levy County, FL 67.1 Serious +6.2
Suwannee County, FL 66.5 Serious +5.6
Lafayette County, FL 66.2 Serious +5.4
Alachua County, FL 57.8 Elevated -3.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Gilchrist County
Russell County, KY 60.8 Elevated 0.0
Trigg County, KY 60.8 Elevated -0.0
Glenn County, CA 60.9 Elevated +0.0
Marion County, AR 60.8 Elevated -0.0
Northampton County, VA 60.9 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Gilchrist 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 Gilchrist 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 Gilchrist County, Florida?

    Gilchrist County has a County Distress Index score of 60.8 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 770th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 36th in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Gilchrist County?

    The primary driver of distress in Gilchrist County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 85.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Gilchrist County compare to neighboring counties?

    Gilchrist County (60.8) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Dixie County, FL (72.1); Columbia County, FL (70.7); Levy County, FL (67.1).

  • 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 Gilchrist County?

    Gilchrist County, Florida has a population of approximately 19,587 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.