Leon County, Florida

County Distress Index: Elevated · 59.5 | 296,913 people · 39th most distressed in Florida
American Default Research

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Leon County, FL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 59.5 — 871st 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 39th of 67 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Leon County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 88.8 — worse than roughly 89% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 88.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 98
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 98
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 72
Homeownership Rate 98
Rent-to-Income Ratio 78
Debt & Delinquency 65.0
Debt in Collections 65
Medical Debt 59
Student Loan Delinquency 76
Auto Loan Delinquency 75
Credit Card Delinquency 61
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 54
Income & Poverty 61.5
Poverty Rate 76
Income vs. State Median 53
Child Poverty Rate 55
Employment & Wages 49.7
Unemployment Rate 80
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 60
Business Formation Rate 9
Community Vulnerability 32.6
Uninsured Rate 46
Disability Rate 19

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Leon County
Leon County, FL 59.5 Elevated —
Gadsden County, FL 80.3 Crisis +20.8
Grady County, GA 71.0 Serious +11.5
Liberty County, FL 70.2 Serious +10.7
Jefferson County, FL 67.8 Serious +8.3
Thomas County, GA 66.3 Serious +6.7
Wakulla County, FL 44.9 Normal -14.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Leon County
Stanislaus County, CA 59.5 Elevated -0.0
Bell County, TX 59.6 Elevated +0.0
Lee County, FL 59.5 Elevated -0.1
East Baton Rouge Parish, LA 59.5 Elevated -0.1
Montgomery County, OH 59.9 Elevated +0.4

Download Data

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

Find Help in Leon County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Leon County.

TALLAHASSEE LENDERS CONSORTIUM, INC.
Tallahassee
850-222-6609 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingPost-Purchase
TALLAHASSEE URBAN LEAGUE, INC
Tallahassee
850-222-6111 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling

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 Leon 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 Leon County, Florida?

    Leon County has a County Distress Index score of 59.5 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 871st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 39th in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Leon County?

    The primary driver of distress in Leon County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 88.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Leon County compare to neighboring counties?

    Leon County (59.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Gadsden County, FL (80.3); Grady County, GA (71.0); Liberty County, FL (70.2).

  • 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 Leon County?

    Leon County, Florida has a population of approximately 296,913 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.