Unemployment in Marion County, Florida, is higher than in 91% of U.S. counties
In Marion County, 5.8% of the labor force was out of work, on average. That is higher than in 91% of U.S. counties.
More distressed than 89% of U.S. counties.
What drives Marion County's score
In Marion County, housing costs weigh most: the score for housing costs is 86.4. Rent on a two-bedroom takes 26.1% of the typical household's income (fiscal year 2027), higher than in 88% of U.S. counties. Jobs come next, at 79.9.
The County Distress Index looks at five parts of household money trouble in Marion County: jobs, late payments on loans, income and the safety net, collections and bankruptcy, and housing costs. Each part is scored from 0 to 100, and a higher score means worse off than other counties.
Marion County is worse off than the typical U.S. county on every measure in the score.
A longer bar means more trouble. See how the county score works.
- 86.4 of 100
Housing costs
Biggest factorRenters, 2020–24 Census survey; HUD's fair market rents, fiscal year 2027
- Renters paying half their income or more in rent24.4% · 2020 to 202484th percentile
- Rent on a two-bedroom as a share of the median income26.1% · fiscal year 202788th percentile
-
- 79.9 of 100
Jobs
Unemployment through Sep 2026; adults not working, 2020–24 Census survey
- Unemployment rate, average over the latest year5.8% · Oct 2025 to Sep 202691st percentile
- Adults 25 to 54 not working24.0% · 2020 to 202468th percentile
-
- 75.0 of 100
Late payments
Credit records, August 2025; credit scores, second quarter of 2026
- People with a credit card behind7.8% · August 202582nd percentile
- People with a car or retail loan behind7.5% · August 202578th percentile
- People with a subprime credit score43.9% · second quarter of 202663rd percentile
-
- 65.3 of 100
Collections and bankruptcy
Credit records, August 2025; bankruptcy filings, 2025
- People with unpaid debt sent to a collector28.6% · August 202569th percentile
- Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people152.5 · 202560th percentile
-
- 63.9 of 100
Income and safety net
Poverty and income, 2024; disability and insurance, 2020–24 Census survey
- People below the poverty line14.3% · 202459th percentile
- Children below the poverty line20.3% · 202465th percentile
- People with a disability16.6% · 2020 to 202455th percentile
- People without health insurance12.5% · 2020 to 202480th percentile
- Median household income (lower income, longer bar)$64,046 · 202457th percentile
-
Sources: Urban Institute, Debt in America; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents and Census income; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. County Distress Index by American Default Research, from data through Sep 2026.
Where the money in Marion County comes from
Benefit checks are Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid paid on people's behalf, veterans' benefits, and food and income support, so a high share usually means an older population, low pay, or both. In Marion County, 28.7% of residents are 65 or older (Census Bureau, 2024), against 17.2% nationally that year.
Cents of every dollar of income, 2024
Marion County
Florida
United States
- Pay from work
- Investments and rent
- Benefit checks
Benefit checks' share of income in Marion County had its largest rise, from 24.8% in 2004 to 32.1% in 2009.
In Marion County, benefit checks' share of income has tripled since 1969, reaching 34.3% in 2024, but pay from work still brings in about a quarter more than benefit checks
In Marion County, Florida, benefit checks' share of income tripled from 1969 to 2024, reaching 34.3%; pay from work is plotted alongside. Every fifth year and 2024 are shown.
- Benefit checks
- Pay from work
The share of households in Marion County getting SNAP food aid had its largest rise, from 8.9% in 2010 to 11.4% in 2011.
The share of households in Marion County getting SNAP food aid was at its highest on the chart in 2015 and has since fallen by about a fifth
Low on the chart: 7.3% in 2009. Households getting SNAP, every year; each bar is a five-year survey estimate ending that year, so neighboring bars share most of their data, Marion County, Florida.
How Marion County has changed
Marion County's population had its largest rise in the last span, from 369,683 in 2019 to 428,905 in 2024.
Marion County's population grew to about six times its 1969 size in 2024, reaching 428,905, with no dip in any year shown
Smallest rise: 2009 to 2014, reaching 339,859. Residents, yearly estimate, every fifth year and 2024, Marion County, Florida.
The jobs count covers work located in the county; the population count covers residents.
The number of jobs located in Marion County doubled to 121,921, the highest on the chart
Biggest rise: 2020 to 2025, reaching 121,921. Yearly average of jobs covered by unemployment insurance, every fifth year and 2025, Marion County, Florida.
| Measure | Then | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rateBLS LAUS | 1990 6.1% | 2025 4.9% |
| People below the poverty lineCensus SAIPE | 1989 15.0% | 2024 14.3% |
| Median household incomeCensus SAIPE | 1989 $20,060 | 2024 $64,046 |
The table uses 4.9% for 2025; the score uses 5.8% for the latest year (Oct 2025 to Sep 2026), both from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Figures are as each agency published them, not adjusted for prices.
Dated events in Marion County's history
1883
1883 fire destroyed much of Ocala downtown area on Thanksgiving Day. Wikipedia
1894
Great Freeze of 1894–1895 destroyed citrus production center. Wikipedia
1975
A tornado in December 1975 did $2.5 million in property damage and killed one person. NOAA Storm Events Database
1993
A tornado in March 1993 did $50 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
1995
A tornado in January 1995 did $2.8 million in property damage and killed one person. NOAA Storm Events Database
1996
Lightning in June 1996 killed one person. NOAA Storm Events Database
2020
The county's largest recorded population was the 2020 Census count of 375,908, which is also its most recent census. Census Bureau
-
Since 1968
36 federal disaster and emergency declarations have covered Marion County, 2 of them for flooding. FEMA
Marion County beside its neighbors
Of the seven counties that border Marion County, one scores higher. For the share of income from benefit checks, Marion County ranks 4th of the eight; Citrus County is highest, at 40.9%.
| County | Score | Poverty | Benefit checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Putnam County, FL | 95 | 20.7% | 39.1% |
| Marion County, FL | 89 | 14.3% | 34.3% |
| Citrus County, FL | 87 | 13.5% | 40.9% |
| Levy County, FL | 87 | 17.6% | 32.5% |
| Volusia County, FL | 80 | 10.8% | 28.1% |
| Lake County, FL | 72 | 9.0% | 27.3% |
| Alachua County, FL | 68 | 22.9% | 20.1% |
| Sumter County, FL | 42 | 8.8% | 35.0% |
Distress score: American Default Research, County Distress Index, data through Sep 2026; each county scored against all 3,144. Poverty rate: Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. Benefit checks: Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024. Neighbors share a border, from Census county maps.
Is Marion County the poorest county in Florida?
No, Marion County's poverty rate was 14.3% in 2024, 30th highest of 67 in Florida (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). By that measure the poorest county in the state is Hamilton County, at 25.3%. On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, Marion County ranks 13th of 67 in the state.
If you're behind on your mortgage in Marion County
Housing counselors approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development work at nonprofit agencies. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau describes free foreclosure-avoidance counseling, including help with mortgage-company conversations and available options Source CFPB.
-
Community Legal Services of Mid-florida, Inc. - Ocala Office
HUD-approved housing counselor
-
Ocala Housing Authority
HUD-approved housing counselor
-
Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida (CLSMF)
Legal aid
-
HUD-approved housing counselors
Our help directory lists 1,010 agencies approved for foreclosure counseling, by state.
The score, its 14 measures and their sources, in one file. Free to use with credit to American Default Research.
Download the CSV for Marion County · Every U.S. county (CSV)
Sources and method
- American Default Research · County Distress Index Data through Sep 2026, built from Urban Institute, Debt in America; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; HUD Fair Market Rents and Census income; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. The County Distress Index is American Default Research's own calculation; the Urban Institute does not produce or endorse it. Our methodology
- Urban Institute · Debt in America Breno Braga, Signe-Mary McKernan, Samantha Atherton, and Kassandra Martinchek, "Debt in America," last updated November 20, 2025, https://datacatalog.urban.org/dataset/debt-america-2025. Licensed under ODC-By 1.0.
- Rent on a two-bedroom and household income The rent share compares HUD fair market rent for fiscal year 2027 with Census Bureau median household income for 2024. The page calls this the typical household's income.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts (CAINC4) · income shares Where the money in Marion County comes from, 2024.
- History The agencies named in each row and the linked records above.