Rutherford County, Tennessee

County Distress Index: Normal · 45.3 | 367,101 people · 84th most distressed in Tennessee
American Default Research

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Rutherford County, TN falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 45.3 — 1962nd 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 84th 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. Rutherford County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 79.3 — worse than roughly 79% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 79.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 88
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 66
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 77
Homeownership Rate 84
Rent-to-Income Ratio 81
Debt & Delinquency 58.1
Debt in Collections 52
Medical Debt 59
Student Loan Delinquency 42
Auto Loan Delinquency 60
Credit Card Delinquency 60
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 76
Employment & Wages 40.4
Unemployment Rate 13
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 87
Business Formation Rate 21
Community Vulnerability 36.5
Uninsured Rate 63
Disability Rate 10
Income & Poverty 11.9
Poverty Rate 13
Income vs. State Median 6
Child Poverty Rate 17

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Rutherford County
Rutherford County, TN 45.3 Normal —
Cannon County, TN 59.6 Elevated +14.4
Bedford County, TN 56.2 Elevated +10.9
Coffee County, TN 54.0 Elevated +8.7
Davidson County, TN 48.8 Normal +3.5
Marshall County, TN 41.6 Normal -3.6
Wilson County, TN 34.1 Healthy -11.2
Williamson County, TN 15.9 Healthy -29.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Rutherford County
Chesapeake city, VA 45.2 Normal -0.0
Greenville County, SC 45.1 Normal -0.2
Cobb County, GA 45.0 Normal -0.2
Gloucester County, NJ 45.0 Normal -0.3
Brazoria County, TX 44.9 Normal -0.4

Download Data

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

Find Help in Rutherford County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Rutherford County.

DOMINION FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
Smyrna
615-220-5858x111 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingHomeless/DisplacementPost-Purchase
LIFE OF VICTORY INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES
La Vergne
615-213-1468 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingPre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education
YOU CAN MAKE IT HOME OWNERSHIP CENTER, INC.
Smyrna
615-355-0005
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingFair Housing

See all counselors in Tennessee →

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 Rutherford 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 →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Rutherford County, Tennessee?

    Rutherford County has a County Distress Index score of 45.3 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,962nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 84th in Tennessee out of 95 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Rutherford County?

    The primary driver of distress in Rutherford County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 79.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Rutherford County compare to neighboring counties?

    Rutherford County (45.3) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Cannon County, TN (59.6); Bedford County, TN (56.2); Coffee County, TN (54.0).

  • 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 Rutherford County?

    Rutherford County, Tennessee has a population of approximately 367,101 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.