Hamilton County, Florida

County Distress Index: Serious · 69.3 | 13,471 people · 14th most distressed in Florida
American Default Research

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Hamilton County, FL shows significant household financial distress with a score of 69.3 — 244th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Florida, it ranks 14th of 67 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Hamilton County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 93.0 — worse than roughly 93% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 93.0
Poverty Rate 91
Income vs. State Median 95
Child Poverty Rate 94
Community Vulnerability 77.8
Uninsured Rate 83
Disability Rate 73
Debt & Delinquency 71.9
Debt in Collections 92
Medical Debt 37
Student Loan Delinquency 70
Auto Loan Delinquency 95
Credit Card Delinquency 95
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 42
Housing Cost Burden 59.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 69
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 95
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 15
Homeownership Rate 47
Rent-to-Income Ratio 73
Employment & Wages 43.9
Unemployment Rate 93
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 10
Business Formation Rate 28

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Hamilton County
Hamilton County, FL 69.3 Serious —
Brooks County, GA 74.0 Serious +4.7
Columbia County, FL 70.7 Serious +1.4
Lowndes County, GA 67.7 Serious -1.6
Madison County, FL 67.6 Serious -1.7
Suwannee County, FL 66.5 Serious -2.8
Echols County, GA 62.3 Elevated -7.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Hamilton County
Harlan County, KY 69.3 Serious -0.0
Palo Pinto County, TX 69.3 Serious +0.0
Terry County, TX 69.3 Serious +0.0
Cook County, GA 69.4 Serious +0.1
Lake County, MI 69.2 Serious -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Hamilton 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 Hamilton 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 Hamilton County, Florida?

    Hamilton County has a County Distress Index score of 69.3 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 244th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 14th in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Hamilton County?

    The primary driver of distress in Hamilton County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 93.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Hamilton County compare to neighboring counties?

    Hamilton County (69.3) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Brooks County, GA (74.0); Columbia County, FL (70.7); Lowndes County, GA (67.7).

  • 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 Hamilton County?

    Hamilton County, Florida has a population of approximately 13,471 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.