Montgomery County, Tennessee

County Distress Index: Elevated · 54.2 | 239,872 people · 67th most distressed in Tennessee
American Default Research

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

Montgomery County, TN registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 54.2 — 1270th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Tennessee, it ranks 67th of 95 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Montgomery County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 70.2 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 70.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 70
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 49
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 88
Homeownership Rate 89
Rent-to-Income Ratio 55
Debt & Delinquency 66.6
Debt in Collections 76
Medical Debt 80
Student Loan Delinquency 2
Auto Loan Delinquency 73
Credit Card Delinquency 82
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 87
Employment & Wages 54.4
Unemployment Rate 45
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 83
Business Formation Rate 35
Community Vulnerability 49.1
Uninsured Rate 57
Disability Rate 41
Income & Poverty 30.6
Poverty Rate 42
Income vs. State Median 11
Child Poverty Rate 39

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Montgomery County
Montgomery County, TN 54.2 Elevated —
Christian County, KY 70.0 Serious +15.8
Houston County, TN 58.4 Elevated +4.3
Todd County, KY 51.5 Elevated -2.7
Robertson County, TN 47.0 Normal -7.2
Dickson County, TN 45.0 Normal -9.2
Stewart County, TN 44.7 Normal -9.5
Cheatham County, TN 40.4 Normal -13.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Montgomery County
Rock Island County, IL 54.2 Elevated 0.0
Rowan County, NC 54.2 Elevated +0.0
Johnson County, TX 54.2 Elevated +0.1
Jefferson County, NY 54.1 Elevated -0.1
Camden County, GA 54.3 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Montgomery 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 Montgomery 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 Montgomery County, Tennessee?

    Montgomery County has a County Distress Index score of 54.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,270th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 67th in Tennessee out of 95 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Montgomery County?

    The primary driver of distress in Montgomery County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 70.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Montgomery County compare to neighboring counties?

    Montgomery County (54.2) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Christian County, KY (70.0); Houston County, TN (58.4); Todd County, KY (51.5).

  • 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 Montgomery County?

    Montgomery County, Tennessee has a population of approximately 239,872 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.