Marion County, Florida

County Distress Index: Serious · 68.7 | 409,959 people · 17th most distressed in Florida
American Default Research

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Marion County, FL shows significant household financial distress with a score of 68.7 — 275th 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 17th of 67 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Marion County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 73.0 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 73.0
Poverty Rate 61
Income vs. State Median 79
Child Poverty Rate 79
Housing Cost Burden 72.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 85
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 85
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 62
Homeownership Rate 37
Rent-to-Income Ratio 91
Debt & Delinquency 71.9
Debt in Collections 70
Medical Debt 49
Student Loan Delinquency 90
Auto Loan Delinquency 79
Credit Card Delinquency 83
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 61
Community Vulnerability 66.9
Uninsured Rate 78
Disability Rate 56
Employment & Wages 59.5
Unemployment Rate 88
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 84
Business Formation Rate 7

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Marion County
Marion County, FL 68.7 Serious —
Putnam County, FL 73.5 Serious +4.8
Citrus County, FL 69.5 Serious +0.8
Levy County, FL 67.1 Serious -1.7
Volusia County, FL 65.8 Serious -2.9
Lake County, FL 58.1 Elevated -10.6
Alachua County, FL 57.8 Elevated -10.9
Sumter County, FL 50.2 Elevated -18.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Marion County
Tulare County, CA 68.9 Serious +0.2
Hampden County, MA 68.5 Serious -0.3
Kern County, CA 69.1 Serious +0.4
Escambia County, FL 67.5 Serious -1.2
Nueces County, TX 70.1 Serious +1.4

Download Data

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

Find Help in Marion County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Marion County.

COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICES OF MID-FLORIDA, INC. - OCALA OFFICE
Ocala
386-255-6573 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling
OCALA HOUSING AUTHORITY
Ocala
352-369-2636 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 Marion 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 Marion County, Florida?

    Marion County has a County Distress Index score of 68.7 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 275th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 17th in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Marion County?

    The primary driver of distress in Marion County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 73.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Marion County compare to neighboring counties?

    Marion County (68.7) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Putnam County, FL (73.5); Citrus County, FL (69.5); Levy County, FL (67.1).

  • 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 Marion County?

    Marion County, Florida has a population of approximately 409,959 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.