State of Our State

How Does Tennessee Stack Up?

ThinkTennessee’s State of Our State dashboard, now in its 6th year, provides a snapshot of how our state ranks nationally across 135 of the indicators that matter most to Tennesseans.

The Tennessee economy is rapidly expanding. But to date, our economic success has not yet translated into greater economic opportunity and security for all Tennesseans.

Indeed, while our latest dashboard finds improvements in our national rank on statewide economic indicators from GDP growth (in just three years we’ve risen from #24 in the country to #1–a rate of 8.6% in 2021!) to poverty to unemployment, metrics at the individual level, including median household income, debt levels, and cost-burdened households among others have declined or worsened.

Importantly, state-level economic successes did not happen by accident. Rather, the improvement in these metrics is a direct result of concerted statewide policy efforts and prioritization – illuminating a path forward to achieve similar progress on many of the affordability, infrastructure, and health challenges continuing to plague our state’s working families.

As Tennessee moves deeper into this period of economic expansion, the 2023 dashboard points to several areas where the scope of policymaking should prioritize expanding access to opportunities for all Tennesseans.

Interested in ideas about how to move our state forward? Our research shares success stories from other states and includes pragmatic solutions about how Tennessee can continue to make progress.

Note: For the sake of consistency, rankings have been standardized so low numbers always reflect positive outcomes. In other words, being ranked first is always better than being ranked 50th. Additional detail on research methodology can be found below the rankings.

Hispanic/Latino Voter Turnout

Black Uninsured Rate

Adults Without a High School Diploma

Hispanic/Latino Fourth-Grade Reading Proficiency

Power Grid Reliability

Seniors (65+) Voter Turnout

Children Receiving Public Assistance

Youth (18-24) Voter Turnout

Adults on Probation & Parole

Broadband Access (25 MBPS)

Youth Unemployment

Typical Wages for Hispanic Workers

Black Fourth-Grade Reading Proficiency

Student-Teacher Ratio

Student Loan Holders in Default in Communities of Color

Energy Expenditures Per Capita

Population Growth

Women Living in Poverty

Seniors Living in Poverty

Affordable Rental Shortage

Voter Registration (Presidential Election)

Underemployment

Black Voter Registration

Young Children Not in School

Low-Income Uninsured Rate

Food-Insecure Seniors

Student Loan Debt

Road Quality

Low Birthweight

Black Incarceration Rate

Cost-Burdened Extremely Low-Income Renters

Foreclosures

Opioid Prescriptions

Wage Gap

Seniors in Good Health

Seniors Avoiding Care Due to Cost

Uninsured Children

Homelessness

Voter Turnout – Women

Violent Crime

Adults Avoiding Care Due to Cost

Auto Loan Delinquency Rate in Communities of Color

Felon Disenfranchisement

Women Holding Elected Office

Medical Debt in Collections for Communities of Color

Adults Who Smoke

Adult Obesity

Hispanic/Latino Voter Registration

Unemployment

Student Loan Holders in Default

Hispanic/Latino Adults Avoiding Care Due to Cost

Gigabyte Internet Availability

Average Commute

Broadband Subscriptions

Voter Turnout (Presidential Election)

Households without Computers or Smartphones

Rural Broadband Access

Provisional Ballots Cast

Black Adults Avoiding Care Due to Cost

Electricity Prices

Drinking Water Quality

Poverty

Home Ownership

Unbanked Households

Adults with Heart Disease

Low-Income Working Families with Kids

Adults with Diabetes

Low-Wage Jobs

Air Pollution

Green Jobs

Children in Poverty

Patents

Food Insecurity

Typical Wages for Black Workers

Incarceration Rate

Leed Certified Buildings

Drug Deaths

Auto Loan Delinquency Rate

Representation of People of Color in Elected Office

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Deficient Bridges

Voter Registration (Midterm Election)

Working Age Employment Rate

Fourth-Grade Reading Proficiency

Infant Mortality

Public School Teacher Salary

Women Avoiding Care Due to Cost

Mental Health Providers

Nursing Home Quality

Recidivism

Highway Traffic Fatalities

Bankruptcy Rate

Seniors (65+) Voter Registration

GDP Growth

Children in Households with High Housing Cost Burden

Youth (18-24) Voter Registration

Women’s Incarceration Rate

Volunteerism

Voter Registration – Women

Financial Well-Being

Hispanic/Latino Post-High School Educational Attainment

Typical Wages for Working Women

Public Library Funding

Cost of Living

New Businesses

Commuters Taking Transit to Work

Juvenile Detention Rate

Cost of Childcare (Infants)

Women’s Uninsured Rate

Typical Wages for Workers with Bachelors Education or Higher

Median Household Income

Uninsured Rate

Women Judges

Typical Wages for Workers with Highschool Education

Property Crime

Childhood Obesity

Children in Food-Insecure Households

Children’s Medicaid/Chip Participation Rate

Black Voter Turnout

High School Graduation

Labor Force Participation Gender Gap

Rental Protections

Voter Turnout (Midterm Election)

Able-Bodied Seniors

Voter Registrations Rejected

Extremely Low-Income Renters

Hispanic/Latino Uninsured Rate

Solar Energy Systems

Cost-Burdened Homeowners

Black Post-High School Educational Attainment

Hispanic/Latino Incarceration Rate

Income Inequality

Medical Debt in Collections

Post-High School Educational Attainment

Notes on Methodology:

Metrics were compiled using publicly available data and are current as of Jan. 10th, 2023. Where possible, we favored U.S. government data over other sources for consistency and reliability.

Some debt- and voting-related indicators will be updated throughout the year as newer information becomes available.