Polk County, Florida

County Distress Index: Serious · 66.5 | 818,330 people · 24th most distressed in Florida
American Default Research

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Polk County, FL shows significant household financial distress with a score of 66.5 — 410th 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 24th of 67 counties. Among its 10 neighboring counties, 7 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Polk County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 83.6 — worse than roughly 84% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 83.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 91
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 87
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 81
Homeownership Rate 71
Rent-to-Income Ratio 88
Debt & Delinquency 83.1
Debt in Collections 82
Medical Debt 76
Student Loan Delinquency 83
Auto Loan Delinquency 80
Credit Card Delinquency 91
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 85
Employment & Wages 59.6
Unemployment Rate 87
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 86
Business Formation Rate 5
Community Vulnerability 56.8
Uninsured Rate 81
Disability Rate 32
Income & Poverty 49.3
Poverty Rate 46
Income vs. State Median 51
Child Poverty Rate 51

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Polk County compares to its 10 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Polk County
Polk County, FL 66.5 Serious —
Hardee County, FL 77.3 Serious +10.8
Highlands County, FL 73.5 Serious +7.1
Okeechobee County, FL 70.7 Serious +4.2
Osceola County, FL 61.8 Elevated -4.7
Orange County, FL 59.5 Elevated -6.9
Hillsborough County, FL 59.2 Elevated -7.2
Pasco County, FL 58.4 Elevated -8.1
Lake County, FL 58.1 Elevated -8.4
Manatee County, FL 53.8 Elevated -12.7
Sumter County, FL 50.2 Elevated -16.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Polk County
Orleans Parish, LA 66.6 Serious +0.2
Essex County, NJ 66.7 Serious +0.3
Jefferson County, TX 66.8 Serious +0.3
Volusia County, FL 65.8 Serious -0.6
Cumberland County, NC 65.7 Serious -0.7

Download Data

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

Find Help in Polk County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Polk County.

HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT SERVICES OF CENTRAL FLORIDA, INC.
Lakeland
863-682-1025 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 Polk 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 Polk County, Florida?

    Polk County has a County Distress Index score of 66.5 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 410th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 24th in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Polk County?

    The primary driver of distress in Polk County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 83.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Polk County compare to neighboring counties?

    Polk County (66.5) can be compared to its 10 neighboring counties: Hardee County, FL (77.3); Highlands County, FL (73.5); Okeechobee County, FL (70.7).

  • 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 Polk County?

    Polk County, Florida has a population of approximately 818,330 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.