Van Buren County, Tennessee

County Distress Index: Elevated · 56.1 | 6,493 people · 60th most distressed in Tennessee
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Van Buren County, TN registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 56.1 — 1139th 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 60th of 95 counties. It scores lower than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Van Buren County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 88.3 — worse than roughly 88% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 88.3
Uninsured Rate 87
Disability Rate 90
Debt & Delinquency 64.4
Debt in Collections 47
Medical Debt 58
Student Loan Delinquency 63
Auto Loan Delinquency 72
Credit Card Delinquency 86
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 61
Income & Poverty 60.2
Poverty Rate 59
Income vs. State Median 45
Child Poverty Rate 76
Employment & Wages 55.4
Unemployment Rate 27
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 71
Business Formation Rate 69
Housing Cost Burden 12.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 17
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 5
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 5
Homeownership Rate 5
Rent-to-Income Ratio 28

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Van Buren County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Van Buren County
Van Buren County, TN 56.1 Elevated —
Sequatchie County, TN 71.7 Serious +15.6
Bledsoe County, TN 66.4 Serious +10.3
Warren County, TN 62.4 Elevated +6.3
White County, TN 57.8 Elevated +1.8
Cumberland County, TN 56.5 Elevated +0.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Van Buren County
Pershing County, NV 56.1 Elevated +0.0
Runnels County, TX 56.1 Elevated +0.1
Sioux County, ND 55.9 Elevated -0.2
Throckmorton County, TX 56.2 Elevated +0.2
Nome Census Area, AK 56.3 Elevated +0.2

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Van Buren County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Van Buren 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 Van Buren 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 Van Buren County, Tennessee?

    Van Buren County has a County Distress Index score of 56.1 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,139th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 60th in Tennessee out of 95 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Van Buren County?

    The primary driver of distress in Van Buren County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 88.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Van Buren County compare to neighboring counties?

    Van Buren County (56.1) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Sequatchie County, TN (71.7); Bledsoe County, TN (66.4); Warren County, TN (62.4).

  • 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 Van Buren County?

    Van Buren County, Tennessee has a population of approximately 6,493 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.