Martin County, Florida

County Distress Index: Elevated · 50.6 | 163,315 people · 58th most distressed in Florida
American Default Research

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Martin County, FL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 50.6 — 1547th 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 58th of 67 counties. It scores lower than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Martin County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 75.5 — worse than roughly 76% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 75.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 97
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 98
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 74
Homeownership Rate 18
Rent-to-Income Ratio 90
Employment & Wages 57.2
Unemployment Rate 76
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 92
Business Formation Rate 3
Community Vulnerability 49.7
Uninsured Rate 66
Disability Rate 33
Income & Poverty 38.1
Poverty Rate 47
Income vs. State Median 23
Child Poverty Rate 45
Debt & Delinquency 32.4
Debt in Collections 25
Medical Debt 51
Student Loan Delinquency 47
Auto Loan Delinquency 19
Credit Card Delinquency 15
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 37

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Martin County
Martin County, FL 50.6 Elevated —
Okeechobee County, FL 70.7 Serious +20.1
Glades County, FL 68.9 Serious +18.3
Hendry County, FL 68.8 Serious +18.2
St. Lucie County, FL 60.6 Elevated +10.0
Palm Beach County, FL 54.5 Elevated +3.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Martin County
Kerr County, TX 50.6 Elevated +0.0
Lauderdale County, AL 50.6 Elevated +0.0
Haywood County, NC 50.5 Elevated -0.1
Pickaway County, OH 50.5 Elevated -0.1
Herkimer County, NY 50.8 Elevated +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Martin County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Martin County.

DEBT MANAGEMENT CREDIT COUNSELING CORP.
Stuart
866-618-3328 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 Martin 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 Martin County, Florida?

    Martin County has a County Distress Index score of 50.6 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,547th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 58th in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Martin County?

    The primary driver of distress in Martin County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 75.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Martin County compare to neighboring counties?

    Martin County (50.6) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Okeechobee County, FL (70.7); Glades County, FL (68.9); Hendry County, FL (68.8).

  • 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 Martin County?

    Martin County, Florida has a population of approximately 163,315 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.