Indian River County, Florida

County Distress Index: Elevated · 56.2 | 169,795 people · 49th most distressed in Florida
American Default Research

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Indian River County, FL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 56.2 — 1128th 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 49th of 67 counties. Among its 4 neighboring counties, 3 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Indian River County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 74.6 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 74.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 93
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 96
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 76
Homeownership Rate 22
Rent-to-Income Ratio 86
Community Vulnerability 63.6
Uninsured Rate 69
Disability Rate 59
Employment & Wages 61.2
Unemployment Rate 87
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 88
Business Formation Rate 8
Debt & Delinquency 46.4
Debt in Collections 35
Medical Debt 35
Student Loan Delinquency 70
Auto Loan Delinquency 46
Credit Card Delinquency 37
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 56
Income & Poverty 35.4
Poverty Rate 32
Income vs. State Median 28
Child Poverty Rate 47

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Indian River County
Indian River County, FL 56.2 Elevated —
Okeechobee County, FL 70.7 Serious +14.5
Osceola County, FL 61.8 Elevated +5.6
St. Lucie County, FL 60.6 Elevated +4.4
Brevard County, FL 54.8 Elevated -1.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Indian River County
Whitfield County, GA 56.3 Elevated +0.0
Bedford County, TN 56.2 Elevated -0.1
Charlotte County, FL 56.2 Elevated -0.1
Harrisonburg city, VA 56.1 Elevated -0.1
DeKalb County, AL 56.1 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Indian River County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Indian River 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 Indian River 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 Indian River County, Florida?

    Indian River County has a County Distress Index score of 56.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,128th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 49th in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Indian River County?

    The primary driver of distress in Indian River County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 74.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Indian River County compare to neighboring counties?

    Indian River County (56.2) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Okeechobee County, FL (70.7); Osceola County, FL (61.8); St. Lucie County, FL (60.6).

  • 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 Indian River County?

    Indian River County, Florida has a population of approximately 169,795 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.