Carroll County, Tennessee

County Distress Index: Serious · 67.6 | 28,860 people · 11th most distressed in Tennessee
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Carroll County, TN shows significant household financial distress with a score of 67.6 — 333rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within Tennessee, it ranks 11th of 95 counties. It scores higher than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Carroll County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 83.0 — worse than roughly 83% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 83.0
Debt in Collections 80
Medical Debt 86
Student Loan Delinquency 92
Auto Loan Delinquency 85
Credit Card Delinquency 68
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 87
Community Vulnerability 76.2
Uninsured Rate 71
Disability Rate 81
Income & Poverty 73.7
Poverty Rate 75
Income vs. State Median 77
Child Poverty Rate 69
Employment & Wages 63.0
Unemployment Rate 61
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 34
Business Formation Rate 94
Housing Cost Burden 42.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 38
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 63
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 7
Homeownership Rate 48
Rent-to-Income Ratio 56

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Carroll County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Carroll County
Carroll County, TN 67.6 Serious —
Madison County, TN 67.2 Serious -0.4
Henry County, TN 66.8 Serious -0.8
Weakley County, TN 63.2 Elevated -4.4
Gibson County, TN 60.6 Elevated -7.0
Benton County, TN 58.8 Elevated -8.8
Decatur County, TN 58.2 Elevated -9.4
Henderson County, TN 58.1 Elevated -9.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Carroll County
Pike County, OH 67.6 Serious -0.0
Madison County, FL 67.6 Serious -0.0
Butler County, MO 67.7 Serious +0.0
Evangeline Parish, LA 67.5 Serious -0.1
Whitley County, KY 67.7 Serious +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Carroll 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 Carroll 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 Carroll County, Tennessee?

    Carroll County has a County Distress Index score of 67.6 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 333rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 11th in Tennessee out of 95 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Carroll County?

    The primary driver of distress in Carroll County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 83.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Carroll County compare to neighboring counties?

    Carroll County (67.6) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Madison County, TN (67.2); Henry County, TN (66.8); Weakley County, TN (63.2).

  • 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 Carroll County?

    Carroll County, Tennessee has a population of approximately 28,860 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.