Johnson County, Tennessee

County Distress Index: Elevated · 63.2 | 18,375 people · 28th most distressed in Tennessee
American Default Research

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

Johnson County, TN registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 63.2 — 610th 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 28th of 95 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 6 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Johnson County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 83.5 — worse than roughly 84% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 83.5
Poverty Rate 89
Income vs. State Median 75
Child Poverty Rate 87
Community Vulnerability 79.4
Uninsured Rate 80
Disability Rate 79
Debt & Delinquency 64.0
Debt in Collections 83
Medical Debt 90
Student Loan Delinquency 63
Auto Loan Delinquency 23
Credit Card Delinquency 59
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 66
Employment & Wages 59.5
Unemployment Rate 72
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 12
Business Formation Rate 95
Housing Cost Burden 29.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 19
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 45
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 5
Homeownership Rate 26
Rent-to-Income Ratio 54

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Johnson County
Johnson County, TN 63.2 Elevated —
Carter County, TN 71.4 Serious +8.1
Grayson County, VA 59.9 Elevated -3.3
Sullivan County, TN 55.4 Elevated -7.8
Avery County, NC 54.0 Elevated -9.2
Washington County, VA 52.8 Elevated -10.4
Ashe County, NC 50.4 Elevated -12.8
Watauga County, NC 49.3 Normal -13.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Johnson County
Weakley County, TN 63.2 Elevated +0.0
Waynesboro city, VA 63.2 Elevated -0.0
McDonough County, IL 63.3 Elevated +0.0
Wharton County, TX 63.1 Elevated -0.1
Piscataquis County, ME 63.1 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Johnson 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 Johnson 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 Johnson County, Tennessee?

    Johnson County has a County Distress Index score of 63.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 610th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 28th in Tennessee out of 95 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Johnson County?

    The primary driver of distress in Johnson County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 83.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Johnson County compare to neighboring counties?

    Johnson County (63.2) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Carter County, TN (71.4); Grayson County, VA (59.9); Sullivan County, TN (55.4).

  • 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 Johnson County?

    Johnson County, Tennessee has a population of approximately 18,375 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.