Decatur County, Tennessee

County Distress Index: Elevated · 58.2 | 11,656 people · 52nd most distressed in Tennessee
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Decatur County, TN registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 58.2 — 971st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Tennessee, it ranks 52nd 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. Decatur County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 77.7 — worse than roughly 78% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 77.7
Poverty Rate 83
Income vs. State Median 73
Child Poverty Rate 77
Community Vulnerability 66.5
Uninsured Rate 67
Disability Rate 66
Employment & Wages 57.2
Unemployment Rate 58
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 39
Business Formation Rate 74
Debt & Delinquency 54.3
Debt in Collections 73
Medical Debt 87
Student Loan Delinquency 63
Auto Loan Delinquency 19
Credit Card Delinquency 23
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 61
Housing Cost Burden 35.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 16
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 32
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 30
Homeownership Rate 47
Rent-to-Income Ratio 53

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Decatur County
Decatur County, TN 58.2 Elevated —
Carroll County, TN 67.6 Serious +9.4
Hardin County, TN 64.8 Elevated +6.6
Perry County, TN 64.2 Elevated +6.0
Wayne County, TN 64.0 Elevated +5.8
Benton County, TN 58.8 Elevated +0.6
Henderson County, TN 58.1 Elevated -0.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Decatur County
Geary County, KS 58.3 Elevated +0.0
Allen County, KY 58.3 Elevated +0.0
Little River County, AR 58.3 Elevated +0.0
Mason County, KY 58.2 Elevated -0.0
Dickenson County, VA 58.3 Elevated +0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Decatur 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 Decatur 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 Decatur County, Tennessee?

    Decatur County has a County Distress Index score of 58.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 971st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 52nd in Tennessee out of 95 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Decatur County?

    The primary driver of distress in Decatur County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 77.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Decatur County compare to neighboring counties?

    Decatur County (58.2) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Carroll County, TN (67.6); Hardin County, TN (64.8); Perry County, TN (64.2).

  • 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 Decatur County?

    Decatur County, Tennessee has a population of approximately 11,656 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.