Gulf County, Florida

County Distress Index: Elevated · 61.8 | 15,693 people · 34th most distressed in Florida
American Default Research

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Gulf County, FL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 61.8 — 700th 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 34th of 67 counties. It scores lower than all 4 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Gulf County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 73.7 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 73.7
Uninsured Rate 61
Disability Rate 86
Housing Cost Burden 68.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 94
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 84
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 52
Homeownership Rate 18
Rent-to-Income Ratio 95
Income & Poverty 60.3
Poverty Rate 61
Income vs. State Median 50
Child Poverty Rate 70
Employment & Wages 58.7
Unemployment Rate 76
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 95
Business Formation Rate 5
Debt & Delinquency 48.0
Debt in Collections 63
Medical Debt 52
Student Loan Delinquency 70
Auto Loan Delinquency 28
Credit Card Delinquency 53
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 23

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Gulf County compares to its 4 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Gulf County
Gulf County, FL 61.8 Elevated —
Calhoun County, FL 74.9 Serious +13.1
Liberty County, FL 70.2 Serious +8.4
Franklin County, FL 67.1 Serious +5.3
Bay County, FL 63.2 Elevated +1.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Gulf County
Roscommon County, MI 61.7 Elevated -0.0
Putnam County, GA 61.8 Elevated +0.1
Perry County, KY 61.8 Elevated +0.1
Sevier County, AR 61.7 Elevated -0.1
Peach County, GA 61.9 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Gulf 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 Gulf 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 Gulf County, Florida?

    Gulf County has a County Distress Index score of 61.8 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 700th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 34th in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Gulf County?

    The primary driver of distress in Gulf County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 73.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Gulf County compare to neighboring counties?

    Gulf County (61.8) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Calhoun County, FL (74.9); Liberty County, FL (70.2); Franklin 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 Gulf County?

    Gulf County, Florida has a population of approximately 15,693 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.