Sarasota County, Florida

County Distress Index: Normal · 49.5 | 469,013 people · 61st most distressed in Florida
American Default Research

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Sarasota County, FL falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 49.5 — 1628th 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 61st 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. Sarasota County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 78.3 — worse than roughly 78% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 78.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 96
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 93
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 67
Homeownership Rate 40
Rent-to-Income Ratio 95
Employment & Wages 59.0
Unemployment Rate 80
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 93
Business Formation Rate 4
Community Vulnerability 55.1
Uninsured Rate 65
Disability Rate 45
Debt & Delinquency 34.1
Debt in Collections 23
Medical Debt 32
Student Loan Delinquency 31
Auto Loan Delinquency 36
Credit Card Delinquency 31
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 52
Income & Poverty 21.0
Poverty Rate 16
Income vs. State Median 20
Child Poverty Rate 27

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Sarasota County
Sarasota County, FL 49.5 Normal —
DeSoto County, FL 76.2 Serious +26.7
Charlotte County, FL 56.2 Elevated +6.6
Manatee County, FL 53.8 Elevated +4.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Sarasota County
New Castle County, DE 49.5 Normal -0.0
Mercer County, NJ 49.3 Normal -0.2
Dauphin County, PA 49.3 Normal -0.2
Adams County, CO 49.8 Normal +0.3
San Luis Obispo County, CA 49.2 Normal -0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Sarasota 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 Sarasota 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 Sarasota County, Florida?

    Sarasota County has a County Distress Index score of 49.5 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,628th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 61st in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Sarasota County?

    The primary driver of distress in Sarasota County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 78.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Sarasota County compare to neighboring counties?

    Sarasota County (49.5) can be compared to its 3 neighboring counties: DeSoto County, FL (76.2); Charlotte County, FL (56.2); Manatee County, FL (53.8).

  • 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 Sarasota County?

    Sarasota County, Florida has a population of approximately 469,013 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.