Pasco County, Florida
Above the national median for rent-to-income ratio — and 2.7× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Steele County, ND — 12%).
Main Findings
Pasco County, Florida ranks 533rd most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: a rent-to-income ratio of 33% — above the national median of 21%. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).
- 533rd of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 69.3 · moderate-high county distress, 38th in Florida.
- A rent-to-income ratio of 33% (U.S. median 21%). Rent-to-income ratio at the 98th percentile nationally. Source: HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
- Unemployment at 5% — national median 4%, ranked at the 86th percentile. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026).
- Bankruptcy filing rate at 226 — national median 126, ranked at the 81st percentile. Source: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025).
- Subprime credit share at 26% — national median 23%, ranked at the 61st percentile. Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025).
Neighbors span three CDI score labels. The 31-point drop to Sumter County marks where the Florida distress corridor ends.
Pasco County has a moderate-high county distress score. The domain mix shows whether pressure is concentrated or spread across the profile.
The CDI gives this county a moderate-high county distress label. The domain table shows whether the score comes from debt, labor, safety-net pressure, or a mix. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Pasco County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Pasco County's value shown alongside FL's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Pasco | FL median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 60 · Rank 1,206 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 6% | 6% | 5% | 59th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 6% | 7% | 5% | 61st | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 26% | 29% | 23% | 61st | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 70 · Rank 749 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 25% | 28% | 23% | 58th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 226 | 138 | 126 | 81st | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 91 · Rank 127 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 33% | 27% | 21% | 98th | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 24% | 25% | 18% | 84th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 86 · Rank 423 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 5% | 5% | 4% | 86th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 40 · Rank 2,014 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 12% | 19% | 18% | 21st | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 17% | 17% | 16% | 57th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 10% | 14% | 14% | 24th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 11% | 12% | 8% | 69th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), FRED/Equifax (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2022 to 2026 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Pasco County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 128-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
DADE CITY, Fla. — Pasco County ranks 533rd among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 69.3 out of 100 gives Pasco a moderate-high county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 532 counties rank more distressed. Within Florida, Pasco ranks 38th of 67 counties.
The index, which draws on 13 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies debt burden (housing basis) as the primary driver in Pasco. A rent-to-income ratio of 33% — above the national median of 21%.
American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Pasco County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Pasco County's distress score?
How does Pasco County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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