Fentress County, Tennessee

County Distress Index: Elevated · 62.8 | 19,696 people · 29th most distressed in Tennessee
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Fentress County, TN registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 62.8 — 630th 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 29th of 95 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Fentress County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 84.1 — worse than roughly 84% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 84.1
Poverty Rate 82
Income vs. State Median 87
Child Poverty Rate 84
Community Vulnerability 82.7
Uninsured Rate 70
Disability Rate 95
Employment & Wages 55.0
Unemployment Rate 34
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 63
Business Formation Rate 68
Debt & Delinquency 52.9
Debt in Collections 57
Medical Debt 82
Student Loan Delinquency 19
Auto Loan Delinquency 50
Credit Card Delinquency 45
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 64
Housing Cost Burden 39.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 36
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 15
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 60
Homeownership Rate 16
Rent-to-Income Ratio 68

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Fentress County
Fentress County, TN 62.8 Elevated —
Scott County, TN 69.2 Serious +6.4
Morgan County, TN 62.4 Elevated -0.4
Pickett County, TN 60.0 Elevated -2.8
Cumberland County, TN 56.5 Elevated -6.3
Putnam County, TN 55.6 Elevated -7.2
Overton County, TN 52.1 Elevated -10.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Fentress County
Polk County, AR 62.8 Elevated -0.0
Greene County, MS 62.8 Elevated +0.0
Saline County, IL 62.7 Elevated -0.0
Monroe County, TN 62.7 Elevated -0.0
Freestone County, TX 62.7 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Fentress 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 Fentress 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.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Tennessee →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Fentress County has a County Distress Index score of 62.8 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 630th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 29th in Tennessee out of 95 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Fentress County?

    The primary driver of distress in Fentress County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 84.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Fentress County compare to neighboring counties?

    Fentress County (62.8) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Scott County, TN (69.2); Morgan County, TN (62.4); Pickett County, TN (60.0).

  • 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 Fentress County?

    Fentress County, Tennessee has a population of approximately 19,696 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.