Putnam County, Florida

County Distress Index: Serious · 73.5 | 75,955 people · 5th most distressed in Florida
American Default Research

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Putnam County, FL shows significant household financial distress with a score of 73.5 — 91st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Florida, it ranks 5th of 67 counties. It scores higher than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Putnam County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 90.0 — worse than roughly 90% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 90.0
Poverty Rate 89
Income vs. State Median 94
Child Poverty Rate 87
Debt & Delinquency 82.9
Debt in Collections 92
Medical Debt 93
Student Loan Delinquency 96
Auto Loan Delinquency 79
Credit Card Delinquency 88
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 48
Community Vulnerability 79.1
Uninsured Rate 88
Disability Rate 70
Housing Cost Burden 58.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 75
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 41
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 31
Homeownership Rate 59
Rent-to-Income Ratio 88
Employment & Wages 56.9
Unemployment Rate 89
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 65
Business Formation Rate 16

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Putnam County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Putnam County
Putnam County, FL 73.5 Serious —
Bradford County, FL 71.0 Serious -2.5
Marion County, FL 68.7 Serious -4.8
Volusia County, FL 65.8 Serious -7.7
Alachua County, FL 57.8 Elevated -15.7
Flagler County, FL 54.5 Elevated -19.1
Clay County, FL 50.1 Elevated -23.4
St. Johns County, FL 34.2 Healthy -39.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Putnam County
Highlands County, FL 73.5 Serious -0.0
Anderson County, TX 73.4 Serious -0.1
San Patricio County, TX 73.3 Serious -0.2
Lake County, CA 73.2 Serious -0.3
Russell County, AL 73.0 Serious -0.5

Download Data

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

Find Help in Putnam County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Putnam County.

COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICES OF MID-FLORIDA, INC. - PALATKA OFFICE
Palatka
386-255-6573 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 Putnam 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 Putnam County, Florida?

    Putnam County has a County Distress Index score of 73.5 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 91st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 5th in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Putnam County?

    The primary driver of distress in Putnam County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 90.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Putnam County compare to neighboring counties?

    Putnam County (73.5) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Bradford County, FL (71.0); Marion County, FL (68.7); Volusia County, FL (65.8).

  • 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 Putnam County?

    Putnam County, Florida has a population of approximately 75,955 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.