Smith County, Tennessee

County Distress Index: Normal · 45.2 | 20,538 people · 85th most distressed in Tennessee
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Smith County, TN falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 45.2 — 1966th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where debt and delinquency levels sit above the national average. Within Tennessee, it ranks 85th of 95 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Smith County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 58.8 — above the national median.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 58.8
Debt in Collections 60
Medical Debt 67
Student Loan Delinquency 88
Auto Loan Delinquency 55
Credit Card Delinquency 23
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 60
Community Vulnerability 58.1
Uninsured Rate 54
Disability Rate 62
Employment & Wages 44.5
Unemployment Rate 19
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 38
Business Formation Rate 77
Housing Cost Burden 34.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 18
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 49
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 45
Homeownership Rate 44
Rent-to-Income Ratio 15
Income & Poverty 30.5
Poverty Rate 35
Income vs. State Median 14
Child Poverty Rate 43

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Smith County
Smith County, TN 45.2 Normal —
Jackson County, TN 65.1 Serious +19.9
DeKalb County, TN 59.9 Elevated +14.7
Macon County, TN 56.3 Elevated +11.1
Putnam County, TN 55.6 Elevated +10.4
Trousdale County, TN 48.4 Normal +3.1
Wilson County, TN 34.1 Healthy -11.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Smith County
Beadle County, SD 45.2 Normal 0.0
West Feliciana Parish, LA 45.2 Normal -0.0
Bennington County, VT 45.3 Normal +0.1
Morgan County, CO 45.3 Normal +0.1
Greene County, GA 45.3 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Smith 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 Smith 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 Smith County, Tennessee?

    Smith County has a County Distress Index score of 45.2 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,966th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 85th in Tennessee out of 95 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Smith County?

    The primary driver of distress in Smith County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 58.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Smith County compare to neighboring counties?

    Smith County (45.2) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Jackson County, TN (65.1); DeKalb County, TN (59.9); Macon County, TN (56.3).

  • 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 Smith County?

    Smith County, Tennessee has a population of approximately 20,538 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.