Tennessee Ranks Near Bottom for Child Well-Being in 2026 National Report
A new national report ranks Tennessee near the bottom for child well-being, with the state among the sharpest declines in economic outcomes alongside Rhode Island and Nebraska.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE — Tennessee children are faring worse across nearly every measure of well-being compared to five years ago, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s “2026 Kids Count Data Book” released this month.
The annual report analyzes federal economic, educational, census, and health data on a state-by-state basis. Its most recent figures, drawn from 2024 data, show Tennessee near the bottom of national rankings in most categories examined.
Sharp Economic Decline
Tennessee, along with Rhode Island and Nebraska, recorded among the steepest drops in economic well-being for children of any state in the country, according to the foundation’s findings. This drop is notable given that more than half of all U.S. states saw improvement on the same economic metric during the same period.
Approximately one in every five Tennessee residents is under the age of 18, making the findings significant for a large share of the state’s population.
The 2026 Kids Count Data Book found that children were worse off since 2019 not only in Tennessee, but in 29 other states across the nation, suggesting the decline reflects broader national trends alongside state-specific challenges.
Health and Family Metrics Also Lag
Tennessee ranked near the bottom nationally for children’s health outcomes, according to the report. The state also performed poorly in a “family and community” category, which factored in the percentage of single-parent families, the share of heads of household without high school diplomas, teen birth rates, and the prevalence of high-poverty areas.
In each of those categories, the Annie E. Casey Foundation placed Tennessee among the worst-performing states in the country.
One Bright Spot: Education Rankings
The report did identify one area where Tennessee outperformed much of the country. The state ranked 18th in the nation for educational outcomes for children, standing as the lone category in which Tennessee scored near the middle of the national pack rather than at the bottom.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation publishes the Kids Count Data Book annually to track child welfare trends across all 50 states using federal data sources.
