Holmes County, Florida

County Distress Index: Serious · 66.4 | 19,944 people · 26th most distressed in Florida
American Default Research

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Holmes County, FL shows significant household financial distress with a score of 66.4 — 415th 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 26th of 67 counties. Among its 4 neighboring counties, 3 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Holmes County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 86.0 — worse than roughly 86% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 86.0
Poverty Rate 79
Income vs. State Median 94
Child Poverty Rate 86
Community Vulnerability 73.3
Uninsured Rate 83
Disability Rate 64
Debt & Delinquency 72.1
Debt in Collections 82
Medical Debt 75
Student Loan Delinquency 70
Auto Loan Delinquency 78
Credit Card Delinquency 89
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 39
Employment & Wages 67.8
Unemployment Rate 80
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 83
Business Formation Rate 41
Housing Cost Burden 32.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 16
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 20
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 10
Homeownership Rate 37
Rent-to-Income Ratio 80

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Holmes County
Holmes County, FL 66.4 Serious —
Jackson County, FL 73.0 Serious +6.6
Washington County, FL 66.2 Serious -0.2
Geneva County, AL 64.9 Elevated -1.4
Walton County, FL 48.6 Normal -17.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Holmes County
Bledsoe County, TN 66.4 Serious -0.0
Polk County, TN 66.3 Serious -0.1
Hempstead County, AR 66.3 Serious -0.1
Suwannee County, FL 66.5 Serious +0.1
Floyd County, KY 66.5 Serious +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Holmes County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Holmes County.

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA/FLORIDA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION - HOLMES COUNTY COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE
Bonifay
850-547-1108 Website
Financial CounselingFinancial CounselingFair HousingHome Improvement/Rehab

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 Holmes 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 Holmes County, Florida?

    Holmes County has a County Distress Index score of 66.4 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 415th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 26th in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Holmes County?

    The primary driver of distress in Holmes County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 86.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Holmes County compare to neighboring counties?

    Holmes County (66.4) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Jackson County, FL (73.0); Washington County, FL (66.2); Geneva County, AL (64.9).

  • 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 Holmes County?

    Holmes County, Florida has a population of approximately 19,944 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.