Okaloosa County, Florida

County Distress Index: Elevated · 53.0 | 218,464 people · 55th most distressed in Florida
American Default Research

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Okaloosa County, FL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 53.0 — 1373rd 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 55th of 67 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 4 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Okaloosa County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 80.5 — worse than roughly 81% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 80.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 93
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 61
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 85
Homeownership Rate 78
Rent-to-Income Ratio 86
Community Vulnerability 60.4
Uninsured Rate 74
Disability Rate 47
Employment & Wages 56.1
Unemployment Rate 72
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 91
Business Formation Rate 5
Debt & Delinquency 46.4
Debt in Collections 47
Medical Debt 48
Student Loan Delinquency 57
Auto Loan Delinquency 48
Credit Card Delinquency 33
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 45
Income & Poverty 21.4
Poverty Rate 21
Income vs. State Median 15
Child Poverty Rate 28

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Okaloosa County compares to its 4 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Okaloosa County
Okaloosa County, FL 53.0 Elevated —
Escambia County, AL 60.8 Elevated +7.8
Covington County, AL 56.7 Elevated +3.7
Walton County, FL 48.6 Normal -4.4
Santa Rosa County, FL 44.1 Normal -8.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Okaloosa County
Lafourche Parish, LA 53.0 Elevated 0.0
Walton County, GA 52.9 Elevated -0.1
Houston County, GA 52.8 Elevated -0.1
Sevier County, TN 52.8 Elevated -0.1
Bastrop County, TX 53.1 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Okaloosa 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 Okaloosa 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 Okaloosa County, Florida?

    Okaloosa County has a County Distress Index score of 53.0 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,373rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 55th in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Okaloosa County?

    The primary driver of distress in Okaloosa County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 80.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Okaloosa County compare to neighboring counties?

    Okaloosa County (53.0) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Escambia County, AL (60.8); Covington County, AL (56.7); Walton County, FL (48.6).

  • 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 Okaloosa County?

    Okaloosa County, Florida has a population of approximately 218,464 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.