Clay County Remains Distressed; State Total Down To Eight

The state announced Tuesday that just eight counties — including Clay County — are considered economically distressed, the lowest number in the state’s history.

Clay County is the only middle Tennessee county included. Grundy and Morgan Counties both advanced off the list Tuesday. A total of 15 counties were designated distressed in 2019.

The Appalachian Regional Commission ranks counties based on a three-year average of per capita market income, the poverty rate and unemployment rates. Clay County’s per capita income stands at some $23,000, roughly $10,000 less than in Putnam County. The 24 percent poverty ranks third highest among the eight distressed counties, behind Hancock and Lake Counties. The Clay County unemployment rate stands at 6.3 percent.

“What happens in rural Tennessee matters to all of Tennessee,” Governor Bill Lee said. “As Tennessee experiences unprecedented economic growth and job creation, we’ll continue our work to prioritize rural communities so that Tennesseans in every county can thrive.”