Shelby County, Tennessee

County Distress Index: Serious · 65.5 | 910,042 people · 20th most distressed in Tennessee
American Default Research

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Shelby County, TN shows significant household financial distress with a score of 65.5 — 473rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within Tennessee, it ranks 20th of 95 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 6 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Shelby County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 95.1 — worse than roughly 95% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 95.1
Debt in Collections 94
Medical Debt 94
Student Loan Delinquency 95
Auto Loan Delinquency 97
Credit Card Delinquency 91
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 100
Housing Cost Burden 85.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 92
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 92
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 72
Homeownership Rate 97
Rent-to-Income Ratio 77
Income & Poverty 65.8
Poverty Rate 79
Income vs. State Median 32
Child Poverty Rate 87
Community Vulnerability 49.5
Uninsured Rate 78
Disability Rate 21
Employment & Wages 31.4
Unemployment Rate 67
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 16
Business Formation Rate 12

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Shelby County
Shelby County, TN 65.5 Serious —
Marshall County, MS 72.1 Serious +6.6
Crittenden County, AR 71.2 Serious +5.7
Mississippi County, AR 69.7 Serious +4.2
Tipton County, TN 59.7 Elevated -5.9
Fayette County, TN 46.9 Normal -18.6
DeSoto County, MS 44.9 Normal -20.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Shelby County
Chatham County, GA 65.5 Serious +0.0
Cumberland County, NC 65.7 Serious +0.2
Volusia County, FL 65.8 Serious +0.3
Passaic County, NJ 64.7 Elevated -0.8
Polk County, FL 66.5 Serious +1.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Shelby County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Shelby County.

FRAYSER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Memphis
901-354-9401 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling
NSC (NACA COUNSELING SUBSIDIARY) - MEMPHIS, TN
MEMPHIS
901-348-0115 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFair HousingPost-Purchase
OPERATION HOPE - MEMPH TN - POPLAR AV
Memphis
404-996-5983 Website
Financial CounselingFinancial CounselingPre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education
OPERATION HOPE - MEMPHIS TN - RAINES RD
Memphis
901-273-4547 Website
Financial CounselingFinancial CounselingPre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education

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 Shelby 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 Shelby County, Tennessee?

    Shelby County has a County Distress Index score of 65.5 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 473rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 20th in Tennessee out of 95 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Shelby County?

    The primary driver of distress in Shelby County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 95.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Shelby County compare to neighboring counties?

    Shelby County (65.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Marshall County, MS (72.1); Crittenden County, AR (71.2); Mississippi County, AR (69.7).

  • 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 Shelby County?

    Shelby County, Tennessee has a population of approximately 910,042 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.