Tennessee County Profiles provide a window into the overall child well-being across the state

Thursday, July 11, 2024 | 12:00pm

Tennessee County Profiles provide a window into the overall child well-being across the state

County Profiles of Child Well-Being in Tennessee provide in depth county-level data and rankings on child outcomes related to economic well-being, education, health and family and community.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth has released its County Profiles of Child Well-Being in Tennessee for 2024. The profiles include county-level measures on 52 indicators and county ranks in crucial areas affecting child development: economic well-being, education, health and family and community. Each profile provides an analysis of the county’s strengths and challenges and policy recommendations to improve outcomes.

Data is primarily from 2022. Key indicators include:

·        Statewide 17.8 percent of children were living in poverty in 2022, slightly down from 18.8 percent of children living in poverty in 2021. In 2022 the lowest percentage was in Williamson County (3.6 percent) and the highest percentage was in Lake County (42.9 percent)

·        Childcare cost burden is defined as the average market rate price for full time care of an infant and a 2-year-old through school age child, as a percentage of the county’s estimated median household income. Statewide the childcare cost burden increased significantly to 40.9 percent in 2022-23, up from 27.9 percent in 2021-22. The county with the highest childcare cost burden in 2022-23 is Hardin County at 105.7 percent and the lowest are Fayette and Williamson with 19.6 percent each.   

·        Tennessee’s rate of children who were victims of abuse or neglect was 9.8 per 1,000 in 2022. Cocke County had the highest rate at 31.0 and Williamson had the lowest rate at 1.7 per 1,000.

·        Statewide chronic absenteeism sits at 19.6 percent in 2022-23, slightly down from 20.3 percent in 2021-22. In 2022-23 the highest rate of chronic absenteeism was in Sequatchie County (34.2 percent) and the lowest was in Williamson County (8.5 percent)

·        Tennessee’s youth crime rate increased in 2022 to 58.4 per 1,000, up from 57.8 per 1,000 in 2021. In 2022 Maury County had the highest rate at 99.37 and Perry and Picket Counties had the lowest rate at 0.0 per 1,000.  

Comparing data across counties provide a glimpse into the varying needs of each county and the different experiences, access to resources and supports a child may have in one county compared to another.

“The Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth (TCCY) is an independent, nonpartisan agency created by the Tennessee General Assembly to ensure the state’s policies and programs effectively promote and protect the health, well-being and development of children and youth,” says TCCY Executive Director Richard Kenney. “We support every county as they work to improve outcomes for children, youth, and families. These county profiles serve as a vital tool at the state-level, but they are primarily for county level officials, non-profits, and communities to evaluate where they can celebrate success, opportunities for growth and how to direct their focus and funding for the next year.”

Overall, the counties that ranked in the top 10 are Williamson, Wilson, Moore, Trousdale, Sumner, Weakley, Carroll, Rutherford, Blount, and Lawrence. The counties with the greatest opportunity for improvement are Lake, Shelby, Davidson, Hardin, Madison, Houston, Haywood, Hardeman, Campbell, and Sevier.

Release Information

During the embargo period, the County Profiles can be found at TN.gov/tccy/press. After publication the County Profiles of Child Well-Being in Tennessee and additional information about data methodology can be found on the website.   

About the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth

The Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth is an independent agency created by the Tennessee General Assembly in 1988. Its primary mission is to lead systems improvement for all children, youth and families through data-driven advocacy, education, and collaboration. Information about the agency is available at www.tn.gov/tccy.