Wayne County, Tennessee

County Distress Index: Elevated · 64.0 | 16,066 people · 26th most distressed in Tennessee
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Wayne County, TN registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 64.0 — 562nd 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 26th of 95 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Wayne County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 78.3 — worse than roughly 78% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 78.3
Uninsured Rate 81
Disability Rate 75
Income & Poverty 75.8
Poverty Rate 78
Income vs. State Median 74
Child Poverty Rate 75
Employment & Wages 62.3
Unemployment Rate 52
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 40
Business Formation Rate 95
Debt & Delinquency 59.0
Debt in Collections 66
Medical Debt 74
Student Loan Delinquency 63
Auto Loan Delinquency 10
Credit Card Delinquency 79
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 62
Housing Cost Burden 44.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 64
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 45
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 49
Homeownership Rate 12
Rent-to-Income Ratio 53

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Wayne County
Wayne County, TN 64.0 Elevated —
Hardin County, TN 64.8 Elevated +0.9
Perry County, TN 64.2 Elevated +0.2
Lawrence County, TN 61.1 Elevated -2.9
Lewis County, TN 61.0 Elevated -2.9
Decatur County, TN 58.2 Elevated -5.8
Lauderdale County, AL 50.6 Elevated -13.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Wayne County
Chester County, SC 64.0 Elevated 0.0
Cross County, AR 64.0 Elevated +0.0
San Juan County, UT 64.0 Elevated +0.0
Gallia County, OH 64.0 Elevated -0.0
Malheur County, OR 64.0 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Wayne 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 Wayne 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 Wayne County, Tennessee?

    Wayne County has a County Distress Index score of 64.0 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 562nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 26th in Tennessee out of 95 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Wayne County?

    The primary driver of distress in Wayne County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 78.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Wayne County compare to neighboring counties?

    Wayne County (64.0) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Hardin County, TN (64.8); Perry County, TN (64.2); Lawrence County, TN (61.1).

  • 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 Wayne County?

    Wayne County, Tennessee has a population of approximately 16,066 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.