Johnson County, Tennessee
Above the national median for transfer-income dependency — and 21.7× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Teton County, WY — 2%).
Main Findings
Johnson County, Tennessee ranks 748th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 39% of personal income comes from government transfers — above the national median of 27%.
- 748th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Second-most distressed fifth, 21st in Tennessee.
- 39% of personal income comes from government transfers (U.S. median 27%). Transfer-income dependency at the 92nd percentile nationally.
- Debt in collections at 33% — national median 23%, ranked at the 82nd percentile.
- Unemployment at 4% — national median 4%, ranked at the 71st percentile.
- Rent-to-income ratio at 22% — national median 21%, ranked at the 54th percentile.
Neighbors span three CDI distress fifths. The 32-point drop to Ashe County, NC marks a cross-border distress gradient.
"Johnson County ranks in the second-most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The score is above the national county midpoint, with the domain table showing the local pressure mix."
"The CDI places this county in the second-most distressed fifth nationally. The county sits above the median distress position, with the five-domain profile showing which local pressures carry the score."
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
28% of children under 18 in Johnson County live below the federal poverty line, versus 18% nationally. When a county's adult poverty rate is accompanied by a materially higher child poverty rate, the gap typically reflects single-parent household concentration or limited access to workforce-participation supports (childcare, transportation). Worth a call to the local school district's free-and-reduced-lunch coordinator or a regional United Way affiliate.
The Indicators Behind Johnson County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Johnson County's value shown alongside TN's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Johnson | TN median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 47 · Rank 1,674 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 3% | 6% | 5% | 23rd | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 6% | 6% | 5% | 59th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 26% | 26% | 23% | 59th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 74 · Rank 591 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 33% | 28% | 23% | 82nd | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 169 | 216 | 126 | 66th | US Courts F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 50 · Rank 1,570 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 22% | 22% | 21% | 54th | HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 17% | 17% | 18% | 45th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 71 · Rank 939 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 4% | 4% | 4% | 71st | BLS LAUS (Dec 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 82 · Rank 359 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 28% | 21% | 18% | 87th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 20% | 19% | 16% | 79th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 21% | 16% | 14% | 89th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers | 39% | 30% | 27% | 92nd | BEA Regional Personal Income (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 12% | 10% | 8% | 80th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Business Formation Statistics), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2023 to 2025 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Johnson County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 155-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
MOUNTAIN CITY, Tenn. — Johnson County ranks 748th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 65 out of 100 places Johnson in the second-most distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 747 counties rank more distressed. Within Tennessee, Johnson ranks 21st of 95 counties.
The index, which draws on 16 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies safety net & buffer as the primary driver in Johnson. 39% of personal income comes from government transfers — above the national median of 27%.
"Johnson County ranks in the second-most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The score is above the national county midpoint, with the domain table showing the local pressure mix," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Johnson County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Johnson County's distress score?
How does Johnson County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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