Lake County, Florida

County Distress Index: Elevated · 58.1 | 424,462 people · 44th most distressed in Florida
American Default Research

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Lake County, FL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 58.1 — 983rd 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 44th of 67 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Lake County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 82.5 — worse than roughly 83% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 82.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 98
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 89
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 89
Homeownership Rate 38
Rent-to-Income Ratio 98
Employment & Wages 61.3
Unemployment Rate 78
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 98
Business Formation Rate 7
Debt & Delinquency 59.8
Debt in Collections 54
Medical Debt 72
Student Loan Delinquency 50
Auto Loan Delinquency 43
Credit Card Delinquency 61
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 79
Community Vulnerability 58.1
Uninsured Rate 66
Disability Rate 50
Income & Poverty 28.7
Poverty Rate 26
Income vs. State Median 36
Child Poverty Rate 24

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Lake County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Lake County
Lake County, FL 58.1 Elevated —
Marion County, FL 68.7 Serious +10.6
Polk County, FL 66.5 Serious +8.4
Volusia County, FL 65.8 Serious +7.8
Osceola County, FL 61.8 Elevated +3.7
Orange County, FL 59.5 Elevated +1.5
Seminole County, FL 51.1 Elevated -7.0
Sumter County, FL 50.2 Elevated -7.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Lake County
Prince George's County, MD 58.1 Elevated +0.0
Mobile County, AL 58.0 Elevated -0.0
Lane County, OR 58.0 Elevated -0.0
Marion County, OR 58.2 Elevated +0.1
Milwaukee County, WI 58.2 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Lake County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Lake County.

COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICES OF MID-FLORIDA, INC. - TAVARES OFFICE
Tavares
386-255-6573 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling
HOMES IN PARTNERSHIP, INC.
Eustis
407-886-2451 Website
Financial CounselingPost-PurchasePre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education

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 Lake 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 Lake County, Florida?

    Lake County has a County Distress Index score of 58.1 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 983rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 44th in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Lake County?

    The primary driver of distress in Lake County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 82.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Lake County compare to neighboring counties?

    Lake County (58.1) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Marion County, FL (68.7); Polk County, FL (66.5); Volusia County, FL (65.8).

  • 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 Lake County?

    Lake County, Florida has a population of approximately 424,462 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.