Lafayette County, Florida

County Distress Index: Serious · 66.2 | 8,078 people · 27th most distressed in Florida
American Default Research

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Lafayette County, FL shows significant household financial distress with a score of 66.2 — 425th 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 27th of 67 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Lafayette County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 81.4 — worse than roughly 81% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 81.4
Poverty Rate 82
Income vs. State Median 81
Child Poverty Rate 82
Community Vulnerability 77.0
Uninsured Rate 71
Disability Rate 83
Employment & Wages 69.9
Unemployment Rate 90
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 89
Business Formation Rate 30
Debt & Delinquency 65.9
Debt in Collections 69
Medical Debt 56
Student Loan Delinquency 70
Auto Loan Delinquency 89
Credit Card Delinquency 89
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 22
Housing Cost Burden 36.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 15
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 62
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 5
Homeownership Rate 13
Rent-to-Income Ratio 90

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Lafayette County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Lafayette County
Lafayette County, FL 66.2 Serious —
Dixie County, FL 72.1 Serious +5.9
Taylor County, FL 67.8 Serious +1.6
Madison County, FL 67.6 Serious +1.4
Suwannee County, FL 66.5 Serious +0.3
Gilchrist County, FL 60.8 Elevated -5.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Lafayette County
Baylor County, TX 66.1 Serious -0.1
Lafayette County, AR 66.3 Serious +0.1
Greer County, OK 66.3 Serious +0.1
Dallas County, AR 66.0 Serious -0.2
Coal County, OK 66.4 Serious +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Lafayette 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 Lafayette 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 Lafayette County, Florida?

    Lafayette County has a County Distress Index score of 66.2 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 425th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 27th in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Lafayette County?

    The primary driver of distress in Lafayette County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 81.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Lafayette County compare to neighboring counties?

    Lafayette County (66.2) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Dixie County, FL (72.1); 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 Lafayette County?

    Lafayette County, Florida has a population of approximately 8,078 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.