Macon County, Tennessee

County Distress Index: Elevated · 56.3 | 26,793 people · 58th most distressed in Tennessee
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Macon County, TN registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 56.3 — 1121st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where income and poverty levels indicate moderate economic strain. Within Tennessee, it ranks 58th of 95 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Macon County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 63.6 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 63.6
Poverty Rate 69
Income vs. State Median 51
Child Poverty Rate 71
Debt & Delinquency 62.2
Debt in Collections 67
Medical Debt 70
Student Loan Delinquency 3
Auto Loan Delinquency 71
Credit Card Delinquency 76
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 86
Community Vulnerability 57.8
Uninsured Rate 70
Disability Rate 45
Housing Cost Burden 53.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 61
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 65
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 35
Homeownership Rate 63
Rent-to-Income Ratio 42
Employment & Wages 44.7
Unemployment Rate 13
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 33
Business Formation Rate 88

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Macon County
Macon County, TN 56.3 Elevated —
Clay County, TN 65.8 Serious +9.5
Jackson County, TN 65.1 Serious +8.8
Allen County, KY 58.3 Elevated +2.0
Monroe County, KY 57.8 Elevated +1.5
Trousdale County, TN 48.4 Normal -7.9
Smith County, TN 45.2 Normal -11.1
Sumner County, TN 41.3 Normal -15.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Macon County
Cherokee County, NC 56.3 Elevated +0.0
Scott County, MO 56.3 Elevated -0.0
Crenshaw County, AL 56.4 Elevated +0.1
Nicholas County, WV 56.4 Elevated +0.1
Bates County, MO 56.2 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Macon 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 Macon 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 Macon County, Tennessee?

    Macon County has a County Distress Index score of 56.3 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,121st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 58th in Tennessee out of 95 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Macon County?

    The primary driver of distress in Macon County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 63.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Macon County compare to neighboring counties?

    Macon County (56.3) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Clay County, TN (65.8); Jackson County, TN (65.1); Allen County, KY (58.3).

  • 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 Macon County?

    Macon County, Tennessee has a population of approximately 26,793 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.