Haywood County, Tennessee

County Distress Index: Serious · 69.8 | 17,328 people · 9th most distressed in Tennessee
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Haywood County, TN shows significant household financial distress with a score of 69.8 — 215th 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 9th 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. Haywood County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 90.8 — worse than roughly 91% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 90.8
Poverty Rate 89
Income vs. State Median 95
Child Poverty Rate 89
Debt & Delinquency 84.0
Debt in Collections 90
Medical Debt 74
Student Loan Delinquency 55
Auto Loan Delinquency 95
Credit Card Delinquency 95
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 95
Community Vulnerability 83.6
Uninsured Rate 72
Disability Rate 95
Housing Cost Burden 70.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 71
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 65
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 38
Homeownership Rate 95
Rent-to-Income Ratio 85
Employment & Wages 20.1
Unemployment Rate 13
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 5
Business Formation Rate 42

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Haywood County
Haywood County, TN 69.8 Serious —
Lauderdale County, TN 76.4 Serious +6.6
Madison County, TN 67.2 Serious -2.7
Hardeman County, TN 66.7 Serious -3.1
Crockett County, TN 61.0 Elevated -8.8
Tipton County, TN 59.7 Elevated -10.2
Fayette County, TN 46.9 Normal -22.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Haywood County
Candler County, GA 69.8 Serious -0.0
Torrance County, NM 69.8 Serious -0.0
Elbert County, GA 69.8 Serious -0.1
Howard County, AR 69.9 Serious +0.1
Mississippi County, AR 69.7 Serious -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Haywood 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 Haywood 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 Haywood County, Tennessee?

    Haywood County has a County Distress Index score of 69.8 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 215th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 9th in Tennessee out of 95 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Haywood County?

    The primary driver of distress in Haywood County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 90.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Haywood County compare to neighboring counties?

    Haywood County (69.8) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Lauderdale County, TN (76.4); Madison County, TN (67.2); Hardeman County, TN (66.7).

  • 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 Haywood County?

    Haywood County, Tennessee has a population of approximately 17,328 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.