Hernando County, Florida

County Distress Index: Serious · 66.2 | 212,807 people · 28th most distressed in Florida
American Default Research

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Hernando County, FL shows significant household financial distress with a score of 66.2 — 429th 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 28th of 67 counties. Among its 3 neighboring counties, 2 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Hernando County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 76.8 — worse than roughly 77% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 76.8
Uninsured Rate 75
Disability Rate 78
Debt & Delinquency 72.2
Debt in Collections 64
Medical Debt 65
Student Loan Delinquency 88
Auto Loan Delinquency 55
Credit Card Delinquency 75
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 86
Housing Cost Burden 71.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 93
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 84
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 70
Homeownership Rate 11
Rent-to-Income Ratio 99
Employment & Wages 64.5
Unemployment Rate 85
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 99
Business Formation Rate 10
Income & Poverty 46.0
Poverty Rate 38
Income vs. State Median 61
Child Poverty Rate 39

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Hernando County compares to its 3 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Hernando County
Hernando County, FL 66.2 Serious —
Citrus County, FL 69.5 Serious +3.3
Pasco County, FL 58.4 Elevated -7.8
Sumter County, FL 50.2 Elevated -16.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Hernando County
Fayette County, PA 66.2 Serious +0.0
Acadia Parish, LA 66.1 Serious -0.1
Troup County, GA 66.3 Serious +0.2
Rapides Parish, LA 66.4 Serious +0.3
Ross County, OH 65.9 Serious -0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Hernando 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 Hernando 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 Hernando County, Florida?

    Hernando County has a County Distress Index score of 66.2 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 429th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 28th in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Hernando County?

    The primary driver of distress in Hernando County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 76.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Hernando County compare to neighboring counties?

    Hernando County (66.2) can be compared to its 3 neighboring counties: Citrus County, FL (69.5); Pasco County, FL (58.4); Sumter County, FL (50.2).

  • 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 Hernando County?

    Hernando County, Florida has a population of approximately 212,807 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.