Hardeman County, Tennessee

County Distress Index: Serious · 66.7 | 25,567 people · 15th most distressed in Tennessee
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Hardeman County, TN shows significant household financial distress with a score of 66.7 — 397th 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 15th of 95 counties. Among its 8 neighboring counties, 6 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Hardeman County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 89.2 — worse than roughly 89% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 89.2
Poverty Rate 90
Income vs. State Median 88
Child Poverty Rate 90
Debt & Delinquency 73.2
Debt in Collections 85
Medical Debt 63
Student Loan Delinquency 2
Auto Loan Delinquency 93
Credit Card Delinquency 97
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 98
Community Vulnerability 70.2
Uninsured Rate 52
Disability Rate 88
Housing Cost Burden 67.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 76
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 71
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 55
Homeownership Rate 65
Rent-to-Income Ratio 69
Employment & Wages 33.8
Unemployment Rate 78
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 17
Business Formation Rate 6

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Hardeman County compares to its 8 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Hardeman County
Hardeman County, TN 66.7 Serious —
Haywood County, TN 69.8 Serious +3.1
Madison County, TN 67.2 Serious +0.5
Alcorn County, MS 61.1 Elevated -5.6
Benton County, MS 61.0 Elevated -5.7
Tippah County, MS 58.6 Elevated -8.1
McNairy County, TN 54.8 Elevated -11.9
Chester County, TN 52.7 Elevated -14.0
Fayette County, TN 46.9 Normal -19.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Hardeman County
Carter County, OK 66.7 Serious +0.0
Webster Parish, LA 66.6 Serious -0.1
Duplin County, NC 66.8 Serious +0.1
Washington County, ME 66.8 Serious +0.1
Upson County, GA 66.6 Serious -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Hardeman 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 Hardeman 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 Hardeman County, Tennessee?

    Hardeman County has a County Distress Index score of 66.7 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 397th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 15th in Tennessee out of 95 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Hardeman County?

    The primary driver of distress in Hardeman County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 89.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Hardeman County compare to neighboring counties?

    Hardeman County (66.7) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Haywood County, TN (69.8); Madison County, TN (67.2); Alcorn County, MS (61.1).

  • 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 Hardeman County?

    Hardeman County, Tennessee has a population of approximately 25,567 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.