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State profile · FY2024 · AOUSC

Tennessee Bankruptcy Filings

According to AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics, 19,926 federal filings were recorded in FY2024 across 3 judicial districts and 7.13 million residents, Chapter 7, 11, 12, and 13.

19,926
Total filings FY2024
High-volume state
279.6
Per 100k residents
Well above national median
#3
Per-capita rank
Top third
3
Judicial districts
More districts than typical

Data updated September 2026

The bottom line

Tennessee filings declined 45.6% across the 10-year AOUSC window ending FY2024.

279.6
filings per 100k
#3
per-capita rank (of 51)
41%
Chapter 7 (liquidation)
58%
Chapter 13 (repayment)

Statistical information only, not legal advice. Outcomes depend on district local rules, exemption law, and the means test. This page does not recommend whether to file.

F
Financial-Stress Score
22/100
Tennessee · 2 of 2 dimensions reported

Based on this state's bankruptcy filing rate (AOUSC, per 100,000 residents) and its most recently reported unemployment rate, each benchmarked against every tracked state (50 states + DC). Lower filings and lower unemployment score higher; this is not a measure of overall affordability, cost of living, or quality of life.

Bankruptcy Filing Rate F 279.6 per 100K
Federal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents, FY2024 (AOUSC)
Unemployment Rate C- 3.4%
State's most recently reported annual unemployment rate

Consumer vs business filings, FY2024

AOUSC case-type split of the same 19,926 filings shown above, orthogonal to the chapter mix below.

Per-capita filings vs peers and the national average

Left: nearby jurisdictions by FY2024 filings per 100,000 residents (AOUSC). Right: Tennessee rate on the same scale as the 51-jurisdiction peak, with the national average marked.

Peer per-capita rates near Tennessee

1. Mississippi301.62. Tennessee279.63. Delaware266.74. Georgia262.6
Filings per 100,000 residents, FY2024. Tennessee highlighted when present in the peer window. Source: AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics.
0374.451-jurisdiction avg142279.6
Tennessee 279.6 per 100k (1.97x the 142.3 national average; peak among 51 is 374.4). Denominator = residents; source AOUSC FY2024.

Where Tennessee sits: volume vs. intensity

Every jurisdiction plotted by FY2024 total filings (volume) against filings per 100,000 residents (intensity), with Tennessee highlighted among all 30. A large state can lead on volume without leading on rate, or the reverse.

30 jurisdictions by total filings (volume) and per-100,000-resident filing rate (intensity), FY2024. Source: AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics; population from U.S. Census Bureau estimates. 2×2 strategic matrix plotting 30 entities by Total filings (X) and Filings per 100k residents (Y), with a crosshair dividing the plot into four quadrants. High volume, high rateLow volume, high rateHigh volume, low rateBelow median on both 010,00020,00030,00040,00050,000 0100200300400 Total filings Filings per 100k residents Tennessee among all U.S. jurisdictions, FY2024
30 jurisdictions by total filings (volume) and per-100,000-resident filing rate (intensity), FY2024. Source: AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics; population from U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
View all 30 jurisdictions as a list
  1. California : 45,781 filings, 117.5 per 100k
  2. Florida : 35,569 filings, 157.3 per 100k
  3. Texas : 30,182 filings, 98.9 per 100k
  4. Georgia : 28,963 filings, 262.6 per 100k
  5. Illinois : 25,450 filings, 202.8 per 100k
  6. Ohio : 23,448 filings, 198.9 per 100k
  7. New York : 20,881 filings, 106.7 per 100k
  8. Michigan : 20,201 filings, 201.3 per 100k
  9. Tennessee (this state) : 19,926 filings, 279.6 per 100k
  10. Alabama : 19,124 filings, 374.4 per 100k
  11. Indiana : 15,921 filings, 232.0 per 100k
  12. Virginia : 14,245 filings, 163.4 per 100k
  13. New Jersey : 13,511 filings, 142.2 per 100k
  14. Pennsylvania : 12,265 filings, 94.6 per 100k
  15. Kentucky : 11,004 filings, 243.1 per 100k
  16. Arizona : 10,861 filings, 146.2 per 100k
  17. Maryland : 10,858 filings, 175.7 per 100k
  18. Missouri : 9,572 filings, 154.5 per 100k
  19. Wisconsin : 9,461 filings, 160.1 per 100k
  20. Louisiana : 9,175 filings, 200.6 per 100k
  21. Mississippi : 8,867 filings, 301.6 per 100k
  22. North Carolina : 8,603 filings, 80.4 per 100k
  23. Minnesota : 8,231 filings, 143.4 per 100k
  24. Washington : 8,176 filings, 104.6 per 100k
  25. Nevada : 7,992 filings, 250.2 per 100k
  26. Colorado : 7,496 filings, 127.5 per 100k
  27. Utah : 6,657 filings, 194.8 per 100k
  28. Oregon : 6,601 filings, 155.9 per 100k
  29. Arkansas : 6,571 filings, 214.2 per 100k
  30. Oklahoma : 6,467 filings, 159.5 per 100k

Source: AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics (filings) · U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates →

Tennessee chapter composition, FY2024

Tennessee chapter mix FY2024

Chapters40.8%58.4%Ch 7, LiquidationCh 11, ReorganizationCh 12, Family farmerCh 13, Wage-earnerCh 15, Cross-border
19,926 filings • per-capita rate 279.6 per 100k • AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics

Total Filings

19,926

#9 nationally · High-volume state

Per 100,000

279.6

#3 per capita · Well above national median

Chapter 7

8,136

41% of total · Below national share

Chapter 13

11,645

58% of total · Above national share

Chapter 11

142

Business reorganization · Below national share

Business

405

Of total filings · Below national share

Peer states, per-capita filings near Tennessee

Rate per 100k population (decimal share) and total filings - Tennessee highlighted

MS

Mississippi

30.16% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$8,867
Selected

TN

Tennessee

27.96% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$19,926

DE

Delaware

26.67% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$2,752

GA

Georgia

26.26% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$28,963

Filing Trend by Year

15,00020,00025,00030,00035,00040,000 FY15FY16FY17FY18FY19FY20FY21FY22FY23FY24 19,926
Total bankruptcy filings in Tennessee by fiscal year. Source: AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics.
Year Total Ch. 7 Ch. 13
FY2024 19,926 8,136 11,645
FY2023 19,479 7,537 11,831
FY2022 17,029 6,849 10,100
FY2021 16,260 8,356 7,821
FY2020 24,932 11,862 12,949
FY2019 34,028 14,144 19,761
FY2018 34,659 14,477 20,048
FY2017 35,423 14,416 20,868
FY2016 35,998 14,342 21,484
FY2015 36,644 14,771 21,735

Federal Districts in Tennessee

Eastern District of Tennessee Middle District of Tennessee Western District of Tennessee

Economic Context

Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics →

3.4%

Unemployment (2023)

279.6

Filings per 100k Pop.

Filing Rate Score

279.6

Filings per 100,000 population

#3

Per-capita rank among 51 jurisdictions

Tennessee sits in the higher third for filings per 100k (#3 of 51) - a rate shaped by exemption laws, income, and local legal culture as much as by distress.

Falling multi-year filing trend

Tennessee in the higher-rate third

In FY2024, Tennessee recorded 19,926 federal filings at 279.6 per 100k - a higher-third per-capita rate (#3 of 51). Chapter 13 repayment plans are 58% while Chapter 7 is only 41% (lower-third Chapter 7 share) - homeowners curing arrears show up more often than straight liquidations.

A declined 45.6% swing on an already higher-rate state can coincide with credit tightening or a local filing-culture shift - still check the district list before inferring a statewide crisis. 3 districts; business 405. Unemployment 3.4% (2023).

These figures describe aggregate court filings; they do not forecast any individual case outcome. Statistical information only - not legal advice; this page does not recommend whether to file.

Next reads for a higher-rate state like Tennessee

Mississippi filing profile

Nearest per-capita peer (301.6/100k)

Eastern District of Tennessee

Lead district inside Tennessee

State filing rankings

Tennessee sits in the upper third by filings per 100k

Chapter 7 vs Chapter 13

High-rate states still split sharply on liquidation vs repayment
← All States National Trends → Mississippi filing profile →

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

What to do with this

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

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

Data sourced from Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AOUSC) Judicial Caseload Statistics for Tennessee FY2024 (per-capita #3 of 51). See our methodology for details. Tennessee snapshot: 19,926 filings, 279.6/100k, Chapter 7 41% / Chapter 13 58%; retrieved September 2026 by PlainBankruptcy.