Jefferson County, Florida

County Distress Index: Serious · 67.8 | 15,450 people · 18th most distressed in Florida
American Default Research

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Jefferson County, FL shows significant household financial distress with a score of 67.8 — 316th 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 18th of 67 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Jefferson County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 87.5 — worse than roughly 88% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 87.5
Poverty Rate 93
Income vs. State Median 74
Child Poverty Rate 95
Community Vulnerability 73.2
Uninsured Rate 63
Disability Rate 83
Debt & Delinquency 62.9
Debt in Collections 76
Medical Debt 64
Student Loan Delinquency 70
Auto Loan Delinquency 47
Credit Card Delinquency 88
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 31
Employment & Wages 58.5
Unemployment Rate 76
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 90
Business Formation Rate 10
Housing Cost Burden 57.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 49
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 75
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 27
Homeownership Rate 46
Rent-to-Income Ratio 89

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Jefferson County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Jefferson County
Jefferson County, FL 67.8 Serious —
Brooks County, GA 74.0 Serious +6.1
Taylor County, FL 67.8 Serious 0.0
Madison County, FL 67.6 Serious -0.3
Thomas County, GA 66.3 Serious -1.6
Leon County, FL 59.5 Elevated -8.3
Wakulla County, FL 44.9 Normal -23.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Jefferson County
Taylor County, FL 67.8 Serious 0.0
Sumter County, AL 67.8 Serious -0.0
Lanier County, GA 67.8 Serious -0.0
Johnston County, OK 67.8 Serious -0.0
Las Animas County, CO 67.8 Serious -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson County, Florida?

    Jefferson County has a County Distress Index score of 67.8 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 316th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 18th in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Jefferson County?

    The primary driver of distress in Jefferson County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 87.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Jefferson County compare to neighboring counties?

    Jefferson County (67.8) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Brooks County, GA (74.0); Taylor County, FL (67.8); Madison County, FL (67.6).

  • 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 Jefferson County?

    Jefferson County, Florida has a population of approximately 15,450 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.