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Federal judicial district · FY2024 · AOUSC

Middle District of Tennessee

According to AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics, federal bankruptcy filing counts for the Middle District of Tennessee cover Chapters 7, 11, 12, and 13.

5,004
Total filings FY2024
Mid-volume district
2,506
Chapter 7
Below national share
2,408
Chapter 13
Above national share
227
Business
Near national share

Data updated September 2026

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The bottom line

5,004 bankruptcy cases moved through the Middle District of Tennessee in FY2024, with Chapter 7 liquidations making up 50% of the total, a rise of 7.4% versus FY2023.

50%
Chapter 7 (liquidation)
48%
Chapter 13 (repayment)
4.5%
business filings
+7.4%
vs FY2023

Filed in federal, not state, court; counted by fiscal year (Oct–Sep). Not legal advice.

Consumer vs business filings, FY2024

AOUSC case-type split of the same 5,004 filings, orthogonal to the chapter mix farther down.

Middle District of Tennessee: filing volume vs. every federal judicial district

FY2024 total bankruptcy filings, AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics

5,004 Top 43% higher than 57% of 89 federal judicial districts

0–1,500: 17 federal judicial districts (19%). Below this entry. 1,500–3,000: 14 federal judicial districts (16%). Below this entry. 3,000–4,500: 13 federal judicial districts (15%). Below this entry. 4,500–6,000: 14 federal judicial districts (16%). This entry sits in this band. 6,000–7,500: 10 federal judicial districts (11%). Above this entry. 7,500–9,000: 4 federal judicial districts (4%). Above this entry. 9,000–10,500: 5 federal judicial districts (6%). Above this entry. 10,500–12,000: 4 federal judicial districts (4%). Above this entry. 12,000–13,500: 2 federal judicial districts (2%). Above this entry. 13,500–15,000: 1 federal judicial districts (1%). Above this entry. 15,000–16,500: 5 federal judicial districts (6%). Above this entry. Middle Tennessee 0 16,500 every federal judicial district, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more federal judicial districts. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics · FY2024

Filing history on a Chapter 13-heavy book

2,0004,0006,0008,00010,000 FY15FY16FY17FY18FY19FY20FY21FY22FY23FY24 5,004
Total bankruptcy filings in the Middle District of Tennessee by fiscal year. Source: AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics.
Year Total Ch. 7 Ch. 11 Ch. 12 Ch. 13
FY2024 5,004 2,506 89 0 2,408
FY2023 4,660 2,157 74 2 2,427
FY2022 4,215 2,041 45 0 2,129
FY2021 4,347 2,571 45 3 1,728
FY2020 6,461 3,468 75 0 2,918
FY2019 8,533 4,120 68 3 4,342
FY2018 8,818 4,242 69 3 4,504
FY2017 8,994 4,340 53 2 4,599
FY2016 9,573 4,829 75 0 4,669
FY2015 9,485 4,945 69 1 4,470

Chapter 13-leaning mix & YoY trend

50%

Chapter 7 share

4,777

Consumer filings

  • Chapter 7 2,506 (50%)
  • Chapter 13 2,408 (48%)
  • Chapter 11 89 (2%)

Chapter breakdown of the 5,004 FY2024 filings in the Middle District of Tennessee.

Filings increased 7.4% from FY2023 to FY2024 in the Middle District of Tennessee.

Unemployment & filings, side by side

With Tennessee unemployment essentially unchanged (3.4% to 3.4%), the Middle District of Tennessee's 45.4% filing decline over FY2019-FY2023 points to a driver other than the labor market.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics state unemployment rate, annual average; AOUSC filing counts by fiscal year. A comparison, not a claim of cause.

Chapter 13-heavy district mix

Middle District of Tennessee's Chapter 13-heavy mix

Chapter 13 share ranks #22 of 89 among districts (highest share = #1); Chapter 7 is 50% of FY2024 filings here.

Over FY2015–FY2024, filings in the Middle District of Tennessee fell 47.2%, 5.9 points below the national decline of 41.3% over the same span.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the FY2024 bankruptcy filing count for the Middle District of Tennessee?

The Middle District of Tennessee had 5,004 bankruptcy filings in FY2024, the #38 busiest of the 89 federal districts by filing volume.

How many business vs. non-business bankruptcy filings were there?

Business filings in the Middle District of Tennessee totaled 227 in FY2024, compared with 4,777 non-business (consumer) filings.

Nationwide peers on Chapter 13 share

Two AOUSC peer sets for the Middle District of Tennessee in FY2024, both outside Tennessee so the neighborhoods are not state containment (same-state courts stay in Other districts below). Volume peers are nearest other-state districts by total filings; Chapter 13 peers are nearest by Ch.13 share of Chapter 7 plus 13 filings.

Similar filing volume

Nearest other-state districts by FY2024 total filings (5,004 here).

Eastern Texas 5,003 Southern California 4,938 Eastern Kentucky 5,160 Southern Mississippi 4,820

Similar Chapter 13 share

Nearest other-state districts by Chapter 13 share of Chapter 7 plus 13 filings.

Kansas 49% Ch.13 Middle Pennsylvania 50% Ch.13 Northern Georgia 50% Ch.13 Southern Illinois 48% Ch.13

What to do with this

Middle District of Tennessee's own numbers, then where to compare them.

  • This district ranks #38 of 89 nationally by FY2024 filing volume - see how every federal district stacks up. National rankings
  • 50% of FY2024 filings here were Chapter 7 liquidations, not Chapter 13 repayment plans - the guide breaks down what separates the two. Chapter 7 vs Chapter 13
  • Middle District of Tennessee is one federal district in Tennessee - see the full state rollup across every district. Tennessee overview

Figures are Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AOUSC) Judicial Caseload Statistics FY2024 filings - see the methodology page for how districts and chapters are defined.

Data sourced from Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AOUSC) Judicial Caseload Statistics. See our methodology for details. Middle District of Tennessee FY2024 profile (#38 of 89 volume · #22 of 89 Ch.13 share · chapter 13-heavy district mix) retrieved and formatted by PlainBankruptcy.