Highlands County, Florida

County Distress Index: Serious · 73.5 | 107,614 people · 6th most distressed in Florida
American Default Research

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Highlands County, FL shows significant household financial distress with a score of 73.5 — 92nd 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 6th of 67 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Highlands County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 86.7 — worse than roughly 87% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 86.7
Poverty Rate 80
Income vs. State Median 94
Child Poverty Rate 86
Community Vulnerability 84.4
Uninsured Rate 80
Disability Rate 89
Debt & Delinquency 66.0
Debt in Collections 63
Medical Debt 55
Student Loan Delinquency 52
Auto Loan Delinquency 64
Credit Card Delinquency 84
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 78
Housing Cost Burden 65.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 85
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 89
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 35
Homeownership Rate 24
Rent-to-Income Ratio 95
Employment & Wages 64.9
Unemployment Rate 94
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 85
Business Formation Rate 16

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Highlands County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Highlands County
Highlands County, FL 73.5 Serious —
Hardee County, FL 77.3 Serious +3.8
DeSoto County, FL 76.2 Serious +2.7
Okeechobee County, FL 70.7 Serious -2.8
Glades County, FL 68.9 Serious -4.6
Polk County, FL 66.5 Serious -7.1
Osceola County, FL 61.8 Elevated -11.8
Charlotte County, FL 56.2 Elevated -17.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Highlands County
Putnam County, FL 73.5 Serious +0.0
Anderson County, TX 73.4 Serious -0.1
San Patricio County, TX 73.3 Serious -0.2
Lake County, CA 73.2 Serious -0.3
Russell County, AL 73.0 Serious -0.5

Download Data

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

Find Help in Highlands County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Highlands County.

FLORIDA NON-PROFIT HOUSING INC
Sebring
863-385-2519 Website
Financial CounselingPre-PurchaseHomebuyer EducationRental Help

See all counselors in Florida →

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 Highlands 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 Highlands County, Florida?

    Highlands County has a County Distress Index score of 73.5 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 92nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 6th in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Highlands County?

    The primary driver of distress in Highlands County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 86.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Highlands County compare to neighboring counties?

    Highlands County (73.5) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Hardee County, FL (77.3); DeSoto County, FL (76.2); Okeechobee County, FL (70.7).

  • 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 Highlands County?

    Highlands County, Florida has a population of approximately 107,614 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.