Lauderdale County, Tennessee
Above the national median of residents with debt in collections — and 22.3× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Logan County, ND — 2%).
Main Findings
Lauderdale County, Tennessee ranks 146th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 43% of residents with a credit file carry debt in collections — above the national median of 23%. Its highest-scoring domain is Default & Legal.
- 146th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 80.1 · very high county distress, 3rd in Tennessee.
- 43% of residents with a credit file carry debt in collections (U.S. median 23%). Debt in collections at the 97th percentile nationally. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Credit card delinquency at 12% — national median 5%, ranked at the 98th percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Child poverty rate at 37% — national median 18%, ranked at the 97th percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
- Unemployment at 4% — national median 4%, ranked at the 67th percentile. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026).
Unemployment is 4%, near the national median of 4%, while credit card delinquency runs at the 98th percentile. Jobs exist; wages don't close the gap.
Neighbors span three CDI score labels. The 20-point drop to Tipton County marks where the Tennessee distress corridor ends.
Lauderdale County has a very high county distress score. The domain table shows which local pressure carries the composite.
The CDI gives this county a very high county distress label. The five-domain profile shows which local pressures carry the score. Its highest-scoring domain is Default & Legal.
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023), 37% of children under 18 in Lauderdale 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.
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Lauderdale County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Lauderdale County's value shown alongside TN's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Lauderdale | TN median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 96 · Rank 37 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 11% | 6% | 5% | 94th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 12% | 6% | 5% | 98th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 41% | 26% | 23% | 96th | Equifax data retrieved via FRED (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 97 · Rank 8 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 43% | 28% | 23% | 97th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 431 | 216 | 126 | 97th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 54 · Rank 1,349 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 22% | 22% | 21% | 55th | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 18% | 17% | 18% | 54th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 67 · Rank 990 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 4% | 3% | 4% | 67th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 86 · Rank 148 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 37% | 21% | 18% | 97th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 23% | 19% | 16% | 92nd | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 25% | 16% | 14% | 95th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 10% | 10% | 8% | 65th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (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), Equifax data retrieved via FRED (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2022 to 2026 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Lauderdale County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 133-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
RIPLEY, Tenn. — Lauderdale County ranks 146th 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 80.1 out of 100 gives Lauderdale a very high county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 145 counties rank more distressed. Within Tennessee, Lauderdale ranks third of 95 counties.
The index, which draws on 13 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies default & legal as the primary driver in Lauderdale. 43% of residents with a credit file carry debt in collections — above the national median of 23%.
American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Lauderdale County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Lauderdale County's distress score?
How does Lauderdale County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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