Monroe County, Florida

County Distress Index: Elevated · 52.7 | 80,614 people · 56th most distressed in Florida
American Default Research

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Monroe County, FL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 52.7 — 1400th 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 56th of 67 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 2 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Monroe County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 91.5 — worse than roughly 92% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 91.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 99
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 98
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 73
Homeownership Rate 88
Rent-to-Income Ratio 99
Debt & Delinquency 58.4
Debt in Collections 60
Medical Debt 95
Student Loan Delinquency 71
Auto Loan Delinquency 35
Credit Card Delinquency 43
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 46
Community Vulnerability 49.5
Uninsured Rate 88
Disability Rate 11
Employment & Wages 42.5
Unemployment Rate 27
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 100
Business Formation Rate 1
Income & Poverty 21.3
Poverty Rate 21
Income vs. State Median 12
Child Poverty Rate 32

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Monroe County compares to its 2 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Monroe County
Monroe County, FL 52.7 Elevated —
Miami-Dade County, FL 57.5 Elevated +4.8
Collier County, FL 47.7 Normal -5.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Monroe County
Colbert County, AL 52.7 Elevated +0.0
LaPorte County, IN 52.6 Elevated -0.0
Fulton County, NY 52.6 Elevated -0.0
Schuylkill County, PA 52.7 Elevated +0.0
Kershaw County, SC 52.7 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Monroe County

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 Monroe 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 Monroe County, Florida?

    Monroe County has a County Distress Index score of 52.7 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,400th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 56th in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Monroe County?

    The primary driver of distress in Monroe County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 91.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Monroe County compare to neighboring counties?

    Monroe County (52.7) can be compared to its 2 neighboring counties: Miami-Dade County, FL (57.5); Collier County, FL (47.7).

  • 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 Monroe County?

    Monroe County, Florida has a population of approximately 80,614 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.