Bledsoe County, Tennessee
Above the national median for disability rate — and 8.4× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (San Juan County, CO — 3%).
Main Findings
Bledsoe County, Tennessee ranks 1,160th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 24% of residents report a disability — above the national median of 16%. Its highest-scoring domain is Safety Net & Buffer.
- 1,160th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 57.9 · moderate county distress, 45th in Tennessee.
- 24% of residents report a disability (U.S. median 16%). Disability rate at the 95th percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023).
- Bankruptcy filing rate at 232 — national median 126, ranked at the 82nd percentile. Source: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025).
- Rent-to-income ratio at 23% — national median 21%, ranked at the 68th percentile. Source: HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
- Auto loan delinquency at 8% — national median 5%, ranked at the 80th percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
Neighbors span four CDI score labels. The 23-point drop to Van Buren County marks where the Tennessee distress corridor ends.
Bledsoe County has a moderate county distress score. The county sits near the middle of the CDI score scale, so the domain mix carries the story.
The CDI gives this county a moderate county distress label. The domain mix matters because the same composite score can come from very different local conditions. Its highest-scoring domain is Safety Net & Buffer.
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023), 28% of children under 18 in Bledsoe County live below the federal poverty line, versus 18% nationally. When a county's adult poverty rate is accompanied by a materially higher child poverty rate, the gap typically reflects single-parent household concentration or limited access to workforce-participation supports (childcare, transportation). Worth a call to the local school district's free-and-reduced-lunch coordinator or a regional United Way affiliate.
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Bledsoe County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Bledsoe County's value shown alongside TN's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Bledsoe | TN median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 50 · Rank 1,558 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 8% | 6% | 5% | 80th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 3% | 6% | 5% | 10th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 26% | 26% | 23% | 60th | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 76 · Rank 549 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 29% | 28% | 23% | 70th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 232 | 216 | 126 | 82nd | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 60 · Rank 1,092 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 23% | 22% | 21% | 68th | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 18% | 17% | 18% | 53rd | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 13 · Rank 2,697 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 3% | 3% | 4% | 13th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 90 · Rank 52 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 28% | 21% | 18% | 87th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 24% | 19% | 16% | 95th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 22% | 16% | 14% | 90th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 18% | 10% | 8% | 93rd | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), FRED/Equifax (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2022 to 2026 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Bledsoe County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 128-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
PIKEVILLE, Tenn. — Bledsoe County ranks 1,160th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 57.9 out of 100 gives Bledsoe a moderate county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 1,159 counties rank more distressed. Within Tennessee, Bledsoe ranks 45th of 95 counties.
The index, which draws on 13 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies safety net & buffer as the primary driver in Bledsoe. 24% of residents report a disability — above the national median of 16%.
American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Bledsoe County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Bledsoe County's distress score?
How does Bledsoe County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Bledsoe County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →