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.

Black Incarceration Rate

Student-Teacher Ratio

Recidivism

Auto Loan Delinquency Rate

Incarceration Rate

Typical Wages for Black Workers

Mental Health Providers

Homelessness

Public Library Funding

Volunteerism

Provisional Ballots Cast

Violent Crime

Seniors (65+) Voter Registration

Voter Registration (Midterm Election)

Uninsured Children

Adult Obesity

Power Grid Reliability

Representation of People of Color in Elected Office

Unemployment

Hispanic/Latino Voter Turnout

Rural Broadband Access

Leed Certified Buildings

Wage Gap

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Children in Food-Insecure Households

Underemployment

Seniors (65+) Voter Turnout

Typical Wages for Working Women

Women Living in Poverty

Typical Wages for Workers with Highschool Education

Voter Registrations Rejected

Working Age Employment Rate

Black Uninsured Rate

Cost-Burdened Extremely Low-Income Renters

Average Commute

Young Children Not in School

Auto Loan Delinquency Rate in Communities of Color

Black Voter Turnout

Juvenile Detention Rate

Seniors Living in Poverty

Adults Who Smoke

Seniors Avoiding Care Due to Cost

Foreclosures

Hispanic/Latino Voter Registration

Adults on Probation & Parole

Youth (18-24) Voter Turnout

Low-Income Working Families with Kids

Women Judges

Children Receiving Public Assistance

Air Pollution

Adults with Diabetes

Cost-Burdened Homeowners

Financial Well-Being

Gigabyte Internet Availability

Youth Unemployment

Poverty

Hispanic/Latino Uninsured Rate

Student Loan Holders in Default

Low Birthweight

Women Holding Elected Office

Voter Registration (Presidential Election)

Property Crime

Median Household Income

GDP Growth

Infant Mortality

Bankruptcy Rate

Black Fourth-Grade Reading Proficiency

Highway Traffic Fatalities

Extremely Low-Income Renters

Energy Expenditures Per Capita

Deficient Bridges

Broadband Subscriptions

Medical Debt in Collections

Seniors in Good Health

Households without Computers or Smartphones

Typical Wages for Hispanic Workers

Solar Energy Systems

Road Quality

Fourth-Grade Reading Proficiency

Typical Wages for Workers with Bachelors Education or Higher

Commuters Taking Transit to Work

Rental Protections

Youth (18-24) Voter Registration

Women Avoiding Care Due to Cost

Post-High School Educational Attainment

Children’s Medicaid/Chip Participation Rate

Black Post-High School Educational Attainment

Voter Registration – Women

Electricity Prices

Children in Poverty

Able-Bodied Seniors

Labor Force Participation Gender Gap

Voter Turnout – Women

Drinking Water Quality

Medical Debt in Collections for Communities of Color

Income Inequality

Hispanic/Latino Incarceration Rate

Home Ownership

Voter Turnout (Midterm Election)

Low-Wage Jobs

Felon Disenfranchisement

Black Adults Avoiding Care Due to Cost

Voter Turnout (Presidential Election)

Cost of Childcare (Infants)

Green Jobs

Broadband Access (25 MBPS)

Nursing Home Quality

Adults Avoiding Care Due to Cost

Public School Teacher Salary

High School Graduation

Unbanked Households

Cost of Living

Adults Without a High School Diploma

Patents

Women’s Uninsured Rate

Hispanic/Latino Fourth-Grade Reading Proficiency

Affordable Rental Shortage

Hispanic/Latino Adults Avoiding Care Due to Cost

Hispanic/Latino Post-High School Educational Attainment

New Businesses

Food Insecurity

Student Loan Holders in Default in Communities of Color

Population Growth

Uninsured Rate

Black Voter Registration

Food-Insecure Seniors

Opioid Prescriptions

Adults with Heart Disease

Women’s Incarceration Rate

Low-Income Uninsured Rate

Childhood Obesity

Children in Households with High Housing Cost Burden

Drug Deaths

Student Loan Debt

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.