Hardeman Added Back as Distressed County, 1 of 8 in Tennessee
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced the number of distressed counties in the state has reduced to eight, the fewest in Tennessee history, marking a significant milestone in the Lee administration’s mission to accelerate the transformation of rural Tennessee.
But the news is not a great milestone for Hardeman County. After being removed from the distressed list in 2021, Hardeman County was added back as a distressed county last year.
Distressed counties rank among the 10 percent most economically distressed counties in the nation. Economic status designations are identified through a composite measure of each county’s three-year average unemployment rate, per capita market income, and poverty rate. Based on these indicators, each county is then categorized as distressed, at-risk, transitional, competitive, or attainment.
The number of distressed counties in Tennessee has reduced from 15 in 2019 to eight in 2023. The eight distressed counties in Tennessee include Bledsoe, Clay, Cocke, Hancock, Hardeman, Lake, Perry, and Scott.
“While today’s announcement is proof that we have made significant strides in reducing the number of distressed counties in Tennessee, we are committed to the eight remaining counties to help improve their economic status designations in the years ahead.” said Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart McWhorter.
Since taking office, Governor Lee has prioritized significant workforce, education, and infrastructure investments to ensure economic growth, job creation and a greater quality of life across rural Tennessee. With these investments, Governor Lee has secured 213 economic development projects in rural counties that have netted more than $16 billion in capital investment and 33,000 new job commitments since 2019.
Read more local news by clicking here.
Stay informed on what’s happening in Hardeman County by subscribing to Hatchie Press e-mail updates.
Do you have community news you’d like to share? E-mail us at news@hatchiepress.com.
