Santa Rosa County, Florida

County Distress Index: Normal · 44.1 | 203,162 people · 66th most distressed in Florida
American Default Research

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Santa Rosa County, FL falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 44.1 — 2067th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Florida, it ranks 66th of 67 counties. It scores lower than all 3 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Santa Rosa County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 61.7 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 61.7
Unemployment Rate 80
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 91
Business Formation Rate 14
Community Vulnerability 56.8
Uninsured Rate 67
Disability Rate 46
Housing Cost Burden 47.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 56
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 54
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 69
Homeownership Rate 19
Rent-to-Income Ratio 41
Debt & Delinquency 46.0
Debt in Collections 47
Medical Debt 54
Student Loan Delinquency 38
Auto Loan Delinquency 37
Credit Card Delinquency 44
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 55
Income & Poverty 8.1
Poverty Rate 8
Income vs. State Median 10
Child Poverty Rate 6

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Santa Rosa County compares to its 3 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Santa Rosa County
Santa Rosa County, FL 44.1 Normal —
Escambia County, FL 67.5 Serious +23.4
Escambia County, AL 60.8 Elevated +16.7
Okaloosa County, FL 53.0 Elevated +8.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Santa Rosa County
Barnstable County, MA 44.1 Normal -0.0
Pennington County, SD 44.1 Normal -0.0
Rogers County, OK 44.0 Normal -0.1
Beaver County, PA 44.2 Normal +0.1
Sandoval County, NM 44.2 Normal +0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Santa Rosa County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Santa Rosa 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 Santa Rosa 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 Santa Rosa County, Florida?

    Santa Rosa County has a County Distress Index score of 44.1 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,067th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 66th in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Santa Rosa County?

    The primary driver of distress in Santa Rosa County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 61.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Santa Rosa County compare to neighboring counties?

    Santa Rosa County (44.1) can be compared to its 3 neighboring counties: Escambia County, FL (67.5); Escambia County, AL (60.8); Okaloosa County, FL (53.0).

  • 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 Santa Rosa County?

    Santa Rosa County, Florida has a population of approximately 203,162 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.