Grants

REDI Designation

Under REDI a rural county or community is defined as:

  1. a county with a population of 75,000 or less; or

  2. a county with a population of 100,000 or less that is contiguous to a county with a population of 75,000 or less; or

  3. an incorporated city or unincorporated federal enterprise community with a population of 25,000 or less and an employment base that is primarily agricultural.

To qualify for REDI status, a rural county or community must exhibit at least three of nine economic distress factors as defined in 288.0656 Florida Statutes.

  1. low per capita income
  2. low per capita taxable values
  3. high unemployment
  4. high underemployment
  5. low weakly earned wages compared to the state average
  6. low housing values compared to the state average
  7. high percentages of the population receiving public assistance
  8. high poverty levels compared to the state average
  9. a lack of year-round stable employment opportunities

There are three Rural Areas of Critical Economic Concern (RACEC) in Florida designated by the Governor's Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development (OTTED). Counties and Communities in these areas are automatically evaluated each year for REDI eligibility.

Northwest Rural Area of Critical Economic Concern

Counties
  • Calhoun
  • Franklin
  • Gadsden
  • Gulf
  • Holmes
  • Jackson
  • Liberty
  • Washington
Communities
  • Freeport (Walton County)

South Central Rural Area of Critical Economic Concern

Counties
  • DeSoto
  • Glades
  • Hardee
  • Hendry
  • Highlands
  • Okeechobee
Communities

These are also designated as a federal Round II Enterprise Communities.

  • Belle Glade (Palm Beach County)
  • Immokalee area (Collier County)
  • Pahokee (Palm Beach County)
  • South Bay (Palm Beach County)

North Central Rural Area of Critical Economic Concern

Counties
  • Baker
  • Bradford
  • Columbia
  • Dixie
  • Gilchrist
  • Hamilton
  • Jefferson
  • Lafayette
  • Levy
  • Madison
  • Putnam
  • Suwannee
  • Taylor
  • Union

Other Counties and Communities

Rural counties or communities not located in a designated area of Critical Economic Concern may submit documentation to the Governor's Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development (OTTED) to request REDI designation. These counties and communities will have REDI status for one year from the date of approval and must apply each year to renew their REDI status. For a current list of Redi Counties and Communities, see the Who is Eligible page.

If you need more information about the REDI program or would like to request an updated list, you may contact the Governor's Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development at 850/245-2568.