Blount County, Tennessee

County Distress Index: Normal · 44.6 | 141,456 people · 88th most distressed in Tennessee
American Default Research

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Blount County, TN falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 44.6 — 2032nd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Tennessee, it ranks 88th of 95 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Blount County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 55.5 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 55.5
Unemployment Rate 16
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 75
Business Formation Rate 75
Debt & Delinquency 52.6
Debt in Collections 55
Medical Debt 85
Student Loan Delinquency 30
Auto Loan Delinquency 41
Credit Card Delinquency 43
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 62
Housing Cost Burden 52.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 48
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 47
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 62
Homeownership Rate 35
Rent-to-Income Ratio 66
Community Vulnerability 45.5
Uninsured Rate 63
Disability Rate 28
Income & Poverty 17.2
Poverty Rate 18
Income vs. State Median 9
Child Poverty Rate 25

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Blount County
Blount County, TN 44.6 Normal —
Monroe County, TN 62.7 Elevated +18.2
Graham County, NC 59.6 Elevated +15.1
Swain County, NC 55.1 Elevated +10.6
Sevier County, TN 52.8 Elevated +8.3
Knox County, TN 46.5 Normal +1.9
Loudon County, TN 42.5 Normal -2.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Blount County
Elko County, NV 44.6 Normal +0.0
Skagit County, WA 44.6 Normal +0.0
Berkeley County, WV 44.6 Normal +0.0
Rankin County, MS 44.5 Normal -0.1
Champaign County, IL 44.4 Normal -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Blount County

Find an Attorney

Tennessee Bar Association — Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Tennessee Bar Association — Lawyer Referral Service 615-383-7421

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Blount County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands 615-244-6610 (Nashville); 1-888-244-6610 (statewide hotline)
West Tennessee Legal Services 731-423-0616
Legal Services of South Central Tennessee 931-381-5533
Tennessee Justice Center 615-255-0331
Appalachian Regional Commission — East Tennessee Legal Aid 865-674-0260
Legal Aid of East Tennessee (865) 637-0484

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Blount County, Tennessee?

    Blount County has a County Distress Index score of 44.6 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,032nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 88th in Tennessee out of 95 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Blount County?

    The primary driver of distress in Blount County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 55.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Blount County compare to neighboring counties?

    Blount County (44.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Monroe County, TN (62.7); Graham County, NC (59.6); Swain County, NC (55.1).

  • 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 Blount County?

    Blount County, Tennessee has a population of approximately 141,456 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.