Sumter County, Florida

County Distress Index: Elevated · 50.2 | 151,565 people · 59th most distressed in Florida
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Sumter County, FL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 50.2 — 1583rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where unemployment is elevated, wages are low relative to housing costs, and business formation lags. Within Florida, it ranks 59th of 67 counties. It scores lower than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Sumter County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 74.2 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 74.2
Unemployment Rate 98
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 68
Business Formation Rate 56
Housing Cost Burden 59.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 95
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 95
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 68
Homeownership Rate 1
Rent-to-Income Ratio 40
Community Vulnerability 45.3
Uninsured Rate 20
Disability Rate 71
Income & Poverty 38.7
Poverty Rate 18
Income vs. State Median 18
Child Poverty Rate 80
Debt & Delinquency 32.8
Debt in Collections 18
Medical Debt 41
Student Loan Delinquency 69
Auto Loan Delinquency 36
Credit Card Delinquency 12
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 22

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Sumter County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Sumter County
Sumter County, FL 50.2 Elevated —
Citrus County, FL 69.5 Serious +19.3
Marion County, FL 68.7 Serious +18.5
Polk County, FL 66.5 Serious +16.3
Hernando County, FL 66.2 Serious +16.0
Pasco County, FL 58.4 Elevated +8.2
Lake County, FL 58.1 Elevated +7.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Sumter County
Reno County, KS 50.2 Elevated -0.0
Clay County, FL 50.1 Elevated -0.0
Faulkner County, AR 50.2 Elevated +0.1
Seneca County, OH 50.1 Elevated -0.1
Elkhart County, IN 50.1 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Sumter 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 Sumter 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 →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Sumter County, Florida?

    Sumter County has a County Distress Index score of 50.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,583rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 59th in Florida out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Sumter County?

    The primary driver of distress in Sumter County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 74.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Sumter County compare to neighboring counties?

    Sumter County (50.2) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Citrus County, FL (69.5); Marion County, FL (68.7); Polk County, FL (66.5).

  • 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 Sumter County?

    Sumter County, Florida has a population of approximately 151,565 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.