Tennessee Making Progress In Reducing Number Of Distressed Counties

Focusing on workforce development and infrastructure improvements, Tennessee’s goal of reducing the state’s number of distressed counties is showing signs of success. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee says the number of distressed counties in the Volunteer state has dropped from a high of 19 in 2018 to just nine currently. Tennessee set a goal of having less than 10 distressed counties by 2025. Distressed counties rank among the ten percent most economically distressed counties in the nation. Cock and Hancock counties are the only two distressed counties in our region.