St. Lucie County, Florida

County Distress Index: Elevated · 60.6 | 373,586 people · 37th most distressed in Florida
American Default Research

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St. Lucie County, FL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 60.6 — 790th 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 37th of 67 counties. Among its 3 neighboring counties, 2 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. St. Lucie County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 82.7 — worse than roughly 83% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 82.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 99
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 96
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 90
Homeownership Rate 31
Rent-to-Income Ratio 97
Debt & Delinquency 67.8
Debt in Collections 61
Medical Debt 52
Student Loan Delinquency 73
Auto Loan Delinquency 61
Credit Card Delinquency 75
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 85
Community Vulnerability 60.8
Uninsured Rate 78
Disability Rate 44
Employment & Wages 60.6
Unemployment Rate 83
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 96
Business Formation Rate 3
Income & Poverty 31.0
Poverty Rate 24
Income vs. State Median 49
Child Poverty Rate 20

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. St. Lucie County
St. Lucie County, FL 60.6 Elevated —
Okeechobee County, FL 70.7 Serious +10.1
Indian River County, FL 56.2 Elevated -4.4
Martin County, FL 50.6 Elevated -10.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. St. Lucie County
Monterey County, CA 60.4 Elevated -0.2
Luzerne County, PA 60.9 Elevated +0.3
Hudson County, NJ 60.2 Elevated -0.4
Camden County, NJ 61.1 Elevated +0.6
Genesee County, MI 61.2 Elevated +0.6

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for St. Lucie County as a CSV file.

Find Help in St. Lucie 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 St. Lucie 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 St. Lucie County, Florida?

    St. Lucie County has a County Distress Index score of 60.6 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 790th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 37th in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in St. Lucie County?

    The primary driver of distress in St. Lucie County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 82.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does St. Lucie County compare to neighboring counties?

    St. Lucie County (60.6) can be compared to its 3 neighboring counties: Okeechobee County, FL (70.7); Indian River County, FL (56.2); Martin County, FL (50.6).

  • 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 St. Lucie County?

    St. Lucie County, Florida has a population of approximately 373,586 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.