Monroe County, Tennessee

County Distress Index: Elevated · 62.7 | 48,594 people · 30th most distressed in Tennessee
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Monroe County, TN registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 62.7 — 634th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where uninsured and disability rates are well above the national average. Within Tennessee, it ranks 30th 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. Monroe County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 82.9 — worse than roughly 83% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 82.9
Uninsured Rate 77
Disability Rate 89
Debt & Delinquency 68.2
Debt in Collections 73
Medical Debt 88
Student Loan Delinquency 41
Auto Loan Delinquency 69
Credit Card Delinquency 51
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 88
Income & Poverty 59.2
Poverty Rate 68
Income vs. State Median 44
Child Poverty Rate 66
Employment & Wages 52.8
Unemployment Rate 41
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 26
Business Formation Rate 92
Housing Cost Burden 50.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 55
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 67
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 43
Homeownership Rate 61
Rent-to-Income Ratio 26

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Monroe County
Monroe County, TN 62.7 Elevated —
Polk County, TN 66.3 Serious +3.6
McMinn County, TN 60.3 Elevated -2.5
Graham County, NC 59.6 Elevated -3.1
Cherokee County, NC 56.3 Elevated -6.4
Blount County, TN 44.6 Normal -18.2
Loudon County, TN 42.5 Normal -20.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Monroe County
Freestone County, TX 62.7 Elevated 0.0
Dorchester County, MD 62.7 Elevated -0.0
Saline County, IL 62.7 Elevated +0.0
Polk County, AR 62.8 Elevated +0.0
Eastland County, TX 62.7 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Monroe 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 Monroe 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 Monroe County, Tennessee?

    Monroe County has a County Distress Index score of 62.7 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 634th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 30th in Tennessee out of 95 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Monroe County?

    The primary driver of distress in Monroe County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 82.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Monroe County compare to neighboring counties?

    Monroe County (62.7) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Polk County, TN (66.3); McMinn County, TN (60.3); Graham County, NC (59.6).

  • 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 Monroe County?

    Monroe County, Tennessee has a population of approximately 48,594 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.