Hillsborough County, Florida
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Hillsborough County. Population: 1,535,564 (metro).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Hillsborough County, FL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 59.2 — 888th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Florida, it ranks 41st of 67 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 3 show less distress.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Hillsborough County compares to all U.S. counties across five dimensions of financial distress. Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.
Housing Cost Burden
Primary DriverDebt & Delinquency
Employment & Wages
Community Vulnerability
Income & Poverty
How Hillsborough County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hillsborough County, FL | 59.2 | Elevated | — |
| Hardee County, FL | 77.3 | Serious Stress | +18.1 |
| Polk County, FL | 66.5 | Serious Stress | +7.2 |
| Pasco County, FL | 58.4 | Elevated | -0.8 |
| Pinellas County, FL | 57.7 | Elevated | -1.5 |
| Manatee County, FL | 53.8 | Elevated | -5.5 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (metro) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harris County, TX | 59.2 | Elevated | -0.1 |
| Broward County, FL | 59.1 | Elevated | -0.2 |
| Orange County, FL | 59.5 | Elevated | +0.3 |
| Dallas County, TX | 60.3 | Elevated | +1.1 |
| San Bernardino County, CA | 60.8 | Elevated | +1.6 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Hillsborough County as a CSV file.
Resources
Hillsborough County scores in the Elevated zone. If you or someone you know is experiencing financial hardship, free help is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for Hillsborough County, Florida?
Hillsborough County has a County Distress Index score of 59.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 888th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 41st in Florida out of 67 counties.
What drives financial distress in Hillsborough County?
The primary driver of distress in Hillsborough County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 92.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).
How does Hillsborough County compare to neighboring counties?
Hillsborough County (59.2) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Hardee County, FL (77.3); Polk County, FL (66.5); Pasco County, FL (58.4).
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 Hillsborough County?
Hillsborough County, Florida has a population of approximately 1,535,564 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a metro county.