Lauderdale County, Tennessee
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Lauderdale County. Population: 24,610 (small).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Lauderdale County, TN shows significant household financial distress with a score of 76.4 — 40th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within Tennessee, it ranks 2nd of 95 counties. It scores higher than all 5 of its neighboring counties.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Lauderdale County compares to all U.S. counties across five dimensions of financial distress. Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.
Debt & Delinquency
Primary DriverIncome & Poverty
Community Vulnerability
Employment & Wages
Housing Cost Burden
How Lauderdale County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lauderdale County, TN | 76.4 | Serious Stress | — |
| Haywood County, TN | 69.8 | Serious Stress | -6.6 |
| Mississippi County, AR | 69.7 | Serious Stress | -6.7 |
| Crockett County, TN | 61.0 | Elevated | -15.4 |
| Tipton County, TN | 59.7 | Elevated | -16.8 |
| Dyer County, TN | 58.8 | Elevated | -17.6 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (small) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bolivar County, MS | 76.5 | Serious Stress | +0.1 |
| Mississippi County, MO | 76.6 | Serious Stress | +0.2 |
| Uvalde County, TX | 76.2 | Serious Stress | -0.2 |
| DeSoto County, FL | 76.2 | Serious Stress | -0.3 |
| Charlton County, GA | 76.1 | Serious Stress | -0.3 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Lauderdale County as a CSV file.
Resources
Lauderdale County scores in the Serious Stress zone. If you or someone you know is experiencing financial hardship, free help is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for Lauderdale County, Tennessee?
Lauderdale County has a County Distress Index score of 76.4 out of 100, placing it in the Serious Stress zone. It ranks 40th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 2nd in Tennessee out of 95 counties.
What drives financial distress in Lauderdale County?
The primary driver of distress in Lauderdale County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 94.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.
How does Lauderdale County compare to neighboring counties?
Lauderdale County (76.4) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Haywood County, TN (69.8); Mississippi County, AR (69.7); Crockett County, TN (61.0).
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 Lauderdale County?
Lauderdale County, Tennessee has a population of approximately 24,610 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.