Polk County, Tennessee

County Distress Index: Serious · 66.3 | 18,033 people · 17th most distressed in Tennessee
American Default Research

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Polk County, TN shows significant household financial distress with a score of 66.3 — 420th 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 17th of 95 counties. It scores higher than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Polk County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 87.3 — worse than roughly 87% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 87.3
Uninsured Rate 90
Disability Rate 85
Debt & Delinquency 73.0
Debt in Collections 63
Medical Debt 90
Student Loan Delinquency 87
Auto Loan Delinquency 30
Credit Card Delinquency 80
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 89
Employment & Wages 72.4
Unemployment Rate 45
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 92
Business Formation Rate 80
Income & Poverty 58.0
Poverty Rate 61
Income vs. State Median 53
Child Poverty Rate 60
Housing Cost Burden 40.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 38
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 65
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 12
Homeownership Rate 5
Rent-to-Income Ratio 85

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Polk County
Polk County, TN 66.3 Serious —
Monroe County, TN 62.7 Elevated -3.6
Bradley County, TN 62.0 Elevated -4.3
McMinn County, TN 60.3 Elevated -6.1
Murray County, GA 56.6 Elevated -9.7
Cherokee County, NC 56.3 Elevated -10.0
Fannin County, GA 52.4 Elevated -14.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Polk County
Hempstead County, AR 66.3 Serious -0.0
Greensville County, VA 66.3 Serious -0.0
Thomas County, GA 66.3 Serious -0.0
Bledsoe County, TN 66.4 Serious +0.0
Holmes County, FL 66.4 Serious +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Polk 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 Polk 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 Polk County, Tennessee?

    Polk County has a County Distress Index score of 66.3 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 420th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 17th in Tennessee out of 95 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Polk County?

    The primary driver of distress in Polk County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 87.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Polk County compare to neighboring counties?

    Polk County (66.3) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Monroe County, TN (62.7); Bradley County, TN (62.0); McMinn County, TN (60.3).

  • 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 Polk County?

    Polk County, Tennessee has a population of approximately 18,033 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.