Data / Rankings / Child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure) / Counties in Tennessee

Counties in Tennessee by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure)

Lake County had the highest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure) of 95 counties in 2017, at 46.3%. Williamson County had the lowest, at 3.8%. The median was 24.2% and the figure for Tennessee was 21.1%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest46.3Lake County
Lowest3.8Williamson County
Median24.295 counties
Tennessee21.1History

Map of counties, 2017

Anderson County: 21.9 %Bedford County: 22.9 %Benton County: 29.7 %Bledsoe County: 30.1 %Blount County: 17.1 %Bradley County: 20.6 %Campbell County: 32.4 %Cannon County: 22.7 %Carroll County: 25.8 %Carter County: 29 %Cheatham County: 14.6 %Chester County: 21.6 %Claiborne County: 31.2 %Clay County: 32.8 %Cocke County: 37.3 %Coffee County: 21.5 %Crockett County: 24.8 %Cumberland County: 25.1 %Davidson County: 22.5 %Decatur County: 25.4 %DeKalb County: 25.2 %Dickson County: 17.2 %Dyer County: 25 %Fayette County: 20.7 %Fentress County: 31.2 %Franklin County: 20.3 %Gibson County: 21.5 %Giles County: 21.1 %Grainger County: 25.7 %Greene County: 24.6 %Grundy County: 31.1 %Hamblen County: 24.7 %Hamilton County: 17.5 %Hancock County: 41.6 %Hardeman County: 30.1 %Hardin County: 28.4 %Hawkins County: 26 %Haywood County: 30.8 %Henderson County: 21.4 %Henry County: 28.8 %Hickman County: 23.8 %Houston County: 24.9 %Humphreys County: 20.8 %Jackson County: 27.1 %Jefferson County: 20.5 %Johnson County: 32.8 %Knox County: 17.1 %Lake County: 46.3 %Lauderdale County: 28 %Lawrence County: 21.9 %Lewis County: 24.1 %Lincoln County: 19.3 %Loudon County: 19.2 %McMinn County: 28.4 %McNairy County: 23.5 %Macon County: 25.8 %Madison County: 24.6 %Marion County: 23.6 %Marshall County: 15.8 %Maury County: 15.5 %Meigs County: 26.5 %Monroe County: 26.6 %Montgomery County: 16.2 %Moore County: 15.6 %Morgan County: 24.8 %Obion County: 29.4 %Overton County: 23 %Perry County: 28.9 %Pickett County: 26.2 %Polk County: 22.9 %Putnam County: 23.8 %Rhea County: 24.1 %Roane County: 21.3 %Robertson County: 16.6 %Rutherford County: 12.6 %Scott County: 29.8 %Sequatchie County: 26.3 %Sevier County: 19.6 %Shelby County: 29.2 %Smith County: 18.5 %Stewart County: 23.9 %Sullivan County: 23.7 %Sumner County: 11.5 %Tipton County: 18.7 %Trousdale County: 20.7 %Unicoi County: 25.4 %Union County: 28.7 %Van Buren County: 27.4 %Warren County: 28.7 %Washington County: 18.6 %Wayne County: 27.9 %Weakley County: 27.4 %White County: 24.2 %Williamson County: 3.8 %Wilson County: 10.9 %
  • Under 19
  • 19 to 22
  • 22 to 24
  • 24 to 26
  • 26 to 29
  • 29 and over
%, 2017. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2017

Lake County: 46.3 %Lake County46.3Hancock County: 41.6 %Hancock County41.6Cocke County: 37.3 %Cocke County37.3Clay County: 32.8 %Clay County32.8Johnson County: 32.8 %Johnson County32.8Campbell County: 32.4 %Campbell County32.4Claiborne County: 31.2 %Claiborne County31.2Fentress County: 31.2 %Fentress County31.2Grundy County: 31.1 %Grundy County31.1Haywood County: 30.8 %Haywood County30.8Bledsoe County: 30.1 %Bledsoe County30.1Hardeman County: 30.1 %Hardeman County30.1Scott County: 29.8 %Scott County29.8Benton County: 29.7 %Benton County29.7Obion County: 29.4 %Obion County29.4Shelby County: 29.2 %Shelby County29.2Carter County: 29 %Carter County29Perry County: 28.9 %Perry County28.9Henry County: 28.8 %Henry County28.8Union County: 28.7 %Union County28.7Warren County: 28.7 %Warren County28.7Hardin County: 28.4 %Hardin County28.4McMinn County: 28.4 %McMinn County28.4Lauderdale County: 28 %Lauderdale County28Wayne County: 27.9 %Wayne County27.9Van Buren County: 27.4 %Van Buren County27.4Weakley County: 27.4 %Weakley County27.4Jackson County: 27.1 %Jackson County27.1Monroe County: 26.6 %Monroe County26.6Meigs County: 26.5 %Meigs County26.5Sequatchie County: 26.3 %Sequatchie County26.3Pickett County: 26.2 %Pickett County26.2Hawkins County: 26 %Hawkins County26Carroll County: 25.8 %Carroll County25.8Macon County: 25.8 %Macon County25.8Grainger County: 25.7 %Grainger County25.7Decatur County: 25.4 %Decatur County25.4Unicoi County: 25.4 %Unicoi County25.4DeKalb County: 25.2 %DeKalb County25.2Cumberland County: 25.1 %Cumberland County25.1Lake County: 46.3 %Lake County46.3Hancock County: 41.6 %Hancock County41.6Cocke County: 37.3 %Cocke County37.3Clay County: 32.8 %Clay County32.8Johnson County: 32.8 %Johnson County32.8Campbell County: 32.4 %Campbell County32.4Claiborne County: 31.2 %Claiborne County31.2Fentress County: 31.2 %Fentress County31.2Grundy County: 31.1 %Grundy County31.1Haywood County: 30.8 %Haywood County30.8Bledsoe County: 30.1 %Bledsoe County30.1Hardeman County: 30.1 %Hardeman County30.1Scott County: 29.8 %Scott County29.8Benton County: 29.7 %Benton County29.7Obion County: 29.4 %Obion County29.4Shelby County: 29.2 %Shelby County29.2Carter County: 29 %Carter County29Perry County: 28.9 %Perry County28.9Henry County: 28.8 %Henry County28.8Union County: 28.7 %Union County28.7Warren County: 28.7 %Warren County28.7Hardin County: 28.4 %Hardin County28.4McMinn County: 28.4 %McMinn County28.4Lauderdale County: 28 %Lauderdale County28Wayne County: 27.9 %Wayne County27.9Van Buren County: 27.4 %Van Buren County27.4Weakley County: 27.4 %Weakley County27.4Jackson County: 27.1 %Jackson County27.1Monroe County: 26.6 %Monroe County26.6Meigs County: 26.5 %Meigs County26.5Sequatchie County: 26.3 %Sequatchie County26.3Pickett County: 26.2 %Pickett County26.2Hawkins County: 26 %Hawkins County26Carroll County: 25.8 %Carroll County25.8Macon County: 25.8 %Macon County25.8Grainger County: 25.7 %Grainger County25.7Decatur County: 25.4 %Decatur County25.4Unicoi County: 25.4 %Unicoi County25.4DeKalb County: 25.2 %DeKalb County25.2Cumberland County: 25.1 %Cumberland County25.1
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2017 (%)Change on 2016
1Lake County46.3-2.8 pts
2Hancock County41.6-1 pts
3Cocke County37.3-1.4 pts
4Clay County32.8-1 pts
4Johnson County32.8-0.6 pts
6Campbell County32.4-2.6 pts
7Claiborne County31.2-1.9 pts
7Fentress County31.2-2.6 pts
9Grundy County31.1-2.3 pts
10Haywood County30.8-1.1 pts
11Bledsoe County30.1-3.2 pts
11Hardeman County30.1-1.2 pts
13Scott County29.8+1.3 pts
14Benton County29.7-0.4 pts
15Obion County29.4+1.8 pts
16Shelby County29.2-3.8 pts
17Carter County29-1.2 pts
18Perry County28.9-3.7 pts
19Henry County28.8-0.9 pts
20Union County28.7-3.7 pts
20Warren County28.7-3 pts
22Hardin County28.4-3.3 pts
22McMinn County28.4+5.8 pts
24Lauderdale County28-6.5 pts
25Wayne County27.9-0.3 pts
26Van Buren County27.4-4.5 pts
26Weakley County27.4+1.1 pts
28Jackson County27.1-4.4 pts
29Monroe County26.6+0.5 pts
30Meigs County26.5-0.9 pts
31Sequatchie County26.3-1 pts
32Pickett County26.2-1.1 pts
33Hawkins County26-1 pts
34Carroll County25.8-0.8 pts
34Macon County25.8+0.6 pts
36Grainger County25.7-4.4 pts
37Decatur County25.4-1.5 pts
37Unicoi County25.4-1.6 pts
39DeKalb County25.2-4.9 pts
40Cumberland County25.1-2.2 pts
41Dyer County25-3.2 pts
42Houston County24.9-1.6 pts
43Crockett County24.8-0.3 pts
43Morgan County24.8-3.8 pts
45Hamblen County24.7-0.2 pts
46Greene County24.6+0.1 pts
46Madison County24.6-2.3 pts
48White County24.2-1.9 pts
49Lewis County24.1-5 pts
49Rhea County24.1-1.7 pts
51Stewart County23.9-1.5 pts
52Hickman County23.8-4.5 pts
52Putnam County23.8-0.2 pts
54Sullivan County23.7-0.3 pts
55Marion County23.6-2.6 pts
56McNairy County23.5-8.7 pts
57Overton County23-2.6 pts
58Bedford County22.9+0.4 pts
58Polk County22.9-2.4 pts
60Cannon County22.7+0.9 pts
61Davidson County22.5+0.3 pts
62Anderson County21.9+0.3 pts
62Lawrence County21.9-0.6 pts
64Chester County21.6-1.8 pts
65Coffee County21.5-1 pts
65Gibson County21.5-1.3 pts
67Henderson County21.4-2.6 pts
68Roane County21.3-0.8 pts
69Giles County21.1-1.9 pts
70Humphreys County20.8-6.5 pts
71Fayette County20.7-1.2 pts
71Trousdale County20.7-3.9 pts
73Bradley County20.6+1 pts
74Jefferson County20.5-3.2 pts
75Franklin County20.3-0.3 pts
76Sevier County19.6-5 pts
77Lincoln County19.3-3.7 pts
78Loudon County19.2+0.7 pts
79Tipton County18.7-4.6 pts
80Washington County18.6-1.9 pts
81Smith County18.5-2.1 pts
82Hamilton County17.5-1.6 pts
83Dickson County17.2-2.8 pts
84Blount County17.1+1 pts
84Knox County17.1-0.2 pts
86Robertson County16.6+0.6 pts
87Montgomery County16.2-0.7 pts
88Marshall County15.8-3 pts
89Moore County15.6-2.1 pts
90Maury County15.5-2 pts
91Cheatham County14.6-1.8 pts
92Rutherford County12.6-0.5 pts
93Sumner County11.5-1.7 pts
94Wilson County10.90 pts
95Williamson County3.8-1.4 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People under 18 in families or living alone with income below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people under 18 whose poverty status can be determined. United States: Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) for the nation, states and counties.

A model-based single-year estimate; the national figure is the one-year American Community Survey estimate. The Census Bureau advises comparing years from 2006 on only. Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_poverty_rate. The rate for all ages is poverty_rate.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties (Counties in Tennessee by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2017) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt

MLA 9

Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties, Counties in Tennessee by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2017. U.S. Census Bureau, 27 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/tennessee-counties?period=2017. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Counties in Tennessee by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2017. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/tennessee-counties?period=2017.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties, Counties in Tennessee by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2017 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/tennessee-counties?period=2017 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_tennessee_by_2017,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties: Counties in Tennessee by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2017}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/tennessee-counties?period=2017. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties: Counties in Tennessee by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2017
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/27
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/tennessee-counties?period=2017
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/tennessee-counties?period=2017.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which county has the highest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure)?

Lake County, with 46.3% in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure)?

Williamson County, with 3.8% in 2017.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure): other rankings

Counties in Tennessee: more rankings