Okeechobee County, Florida

County Distress Index: Serious · 70.7 | 41,427 people · 11th most distressed in Florida
American Default Research

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Okeechobee County, FL shows significant household financial distress with a score of 70.7 — 181st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where uninsured and disability rates are well above the national average. Within Florida, it ranks 11th of 67 counties. Among its 9 neighboring counties, 8 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Okeechobee County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 84.7 — worse than roughly 85% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 84.7
Uninsured Rate 93
Disability Rate 76
Income & Poverty 80.1
Poverty Rate 73
Income vs. State Median 89
Child Poverty Rate 78
Debt & Delinquency 68.7
Debt in Collections 79
Medical Debt 52
Student Loan Delinquency 88
Auto Loan Delinquency 63
Credit Card Delinquency 75
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 55
Employment & Wages 63.1
Unemployment Rate 86
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 89
Business Formation Rate 15
Housing Cost Burden 56.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 53
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 62
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 26
Homeownership Rate 49
Rent-to-Income Ratio 95

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Okeechobee County compares to its 9 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Okeechobee County
Okeechobee County, FL 70.7 Serious —
Highlands County, FL 73.5 Serious +2.8
Glades County, FL 68.9 Serious -1.8
Hendry County, FL 68.8 Serious -1.9
Polk County, FL 66.5 Serious -4.2
Osceola County, FL 61.8 Elevated -8.9
St. Lucie County, FL 60.6 Elevated -10.1
Indian River County, FL 56.2 Elevated -14.5
Palm Beach County, FL 54.5 Elevated -16.2
Martin County, FL 50.6 Elevated -20.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Okeechobee County
Decatur County, GA 70.7 Serious +0.0
Atoka County, OK 70.6 Serious -0.1
Martin County, NC 70.8 Serious +0.1
Desha County, AR 70.8 Serious +0.2
Greene County, NC 70.9 Serious +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Okeechobee 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 Okeechobee 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 Okeechobee County, Florida?

    Okeechobee County has a County Distress Index score of 70.7 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 181st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 11th in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Okeechobee County?

    The primary driver of distress in Okeechobee County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 84.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Okeechobee County compare to neighboring counties?

    Okeechobee County (70.7) can be compared to its 9 neighboring counties: Highlands County, FL (73.5); 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 Okeechobee County?

    Okeechobee County, Florida has a population of approximately 41,427 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.