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 2018, at 41.2%. Williamson County had the lowest, at 3.5%. The median was 24.3% and the figure for Tennessee was 21.8%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest41.2Lake County
Lowest3.5Williamson County
Median24.395 counties
Tennessee21.8History

Map of counties, 2018

Anderson County: 21.9 %Bedford County: 22.8 %Benton County: 30 %Bledsoe County: 35 %Blount County: 13.5 %Bradley County: 20.9 %Campbell County: 27.8 %Cannon County: 22 %Carroll County: 27.5 %Carter County: 29.4 %Cheatham County: 13.4 %Chester County: 22 %Claiborne County: 35.2 %Clay County: 30.7 %Cocke County: 35.7 %Coffee County: 25.1 %Crockett County: 25.4 %Cumberland County: 24.4 %Davidson County: 25.4 %Decatur County: 24.3 %DeKalb County: 24.4 %Dickson County: 20.2 %Dyer County: 26 %Fayette County: 20.9 %Fentress County: 30 %Franklin County: 21.4 %Gibson County: 22.8 %Giles County: 22.7 %Grainger County: 25.2 %Greene County: 23.9 %Grundy County: 27.8 %Hamblen County: 24.2 %Hamilton County: 18.1 %Hancock County: 41.1 %Hardeman County: 28.8 %Hardin County: 29.3 %Hawkins County: 27.6 %Haywood County: 30.8 %Henderson County: 23.2 %Henry County: 29.4 %Hickman County: 24.2 %Houston County: 25.2 %Humphreys County: 20.3 %Jackson County: 29.6 %Jefferson County: 20.9 %Johnson County: 27.9 %Knox County: 15.2 %Lake County: 41.2 %Lauderdale County: 34.6 %Lawrence County: 24.7 %Lewis County: 24.8 %Lincoln County: 18.4 %Loudon County: 16 %McMinn County: 21.8 %McNairy County: 22.3 %Macon County: 26 %Madison County: 28.9 %Marion County: 23.5 %Marshall County: 19.9 %Maury County: 15.2 %Meigs County: 26.6 %Monroe County: 23 %Montgomery County: 16.6 %Moore County: 14.1 %Morgan County: 26.9 %Obion County: 25.6 %Overton County: 20.8 %Perry County: 26.4 %Pickett County: 24.3 %Polk County: 22.4 %Putnam County: 18.7 %Rhea County: 27.2 %Roane County: 22 %Robertson County: 15.4 %Rutherford County: 11.8 %Scott County: 26.6 %Sequatchie County: 25.6 %Sevier County: 23 %Shelby County: 33.2 %Smith County: 18.8 %Stewart County: 22.2 %Sullivan County: 24.6 %Sumner County: 11.7 %Tipton County: 18.5 %Trousdale County: 20.5 %Unicoi County: 24.1 %Union County: 27.5 %Van Buren County: 27.7 %Warren County: 35.3 %Washington County: 18 %Wayne County: 27.6 %Weakley County: 22.3 %White County: 24.6 %Williamson County: 3.5 %Wilson County: 9.9 %
  • Under 19
  • 19 to 22
  • 22 to 24
  • 24 to 26
  • 26 to 29
  • 29 and over
%, 2018. 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, 2018

Lake County: 41.2 %Lake County41.2Hancock County: 41.1 %Hancock County41.1Cocke County: 35.7 %Cocke County35.7Warren County: 35.3 %Warren County35.3Claiborne County: 35.2 %Claiborne County35.2Bledsoe County: 35 %Bledsoe County35Lauderdale County: 34.6 %Lauderdale County34.6Shelby County: 33.2 %Shelby County33.2Haywood County: 30.8 %Haywood County30.8Clay County: 30.7 %Clay County30.7Benton County: 30 %Benton County30Fentress County: 30 %Fentress County30Jackson County: 29.6 %Jackson County29.6Carter County: 29.4 %Carter County29.4Henry County: 29.4 %Henry County29.4Hardin County: 29.3 %Hardin County29.3Madison County: 28.9 %Madison County28.9Hardeman County: 28.8 %Hardeman County28.8Johnson County: 27.9 %Johnson County27.9Campbell County: 27.8 %Campbell County27.8Grundy County: 27.8 %Grundy County27.8Van Buren County: 27.7 %Van Buren County27.7Hawkins County: 27.6 %Hawkins County27.6Wayne County: 27.6 %Wayne County27.6Carroll County: 27.5 %Carroll County27.5Union County: 27.5 %Union County27.5Rhea County: 27.2 %Rhea County27.2Morgan County: 26.9 %Morgan County26.9Meigs County: 26.6 %Meigs County26.6Scott County: 26.6 %Scott County26.6Perry County: 26.4 %Perry County26.4Dyer County: 26 %Dyer County26Macon County: 26 %Macon County26Obion County: 25.6 %Obion County25.6Sequatchie County: 25.6 %Sequatchie County25.6Crockett County: 25.4 %Crockett County25.4Davidson County: 25.4 %Davidson County25.4Grainger County: 25.2 %Grainger County25.2Houston County: 25.2 %Houston County25.2Coffee County: 25.1 %Coffee County25.1Lake County: 41.2 %Lake County41.2Hancock County: 41.1 %Hancock County41.1Cocke County: 35.7 %Cocke County35.7Warren County: 35.3 %Warren County35.3Claiborne County: 35.2 %Claiborne County35.2Bledsoe County: 35 %Bledsoe County35Lauderdale County: 34.6 %Lauderdale County34.6Shelby County: 33.2 %Shelby County33.2Haywood County: 30.8 %Haywood County30.8Clay County: 30.7 %Clay County30.7Benton County: 30 %Benton County30Fentress County: 30 %Fentress County30Jackson County: 29.6 %Jackson County29.6Carter County: 29.4 %Carter County29.4Henry County: 29.4 %Henry County29.4Hardin County: 29.3 %Hardin County29.3Madison County: 28.9 %Madison County28.9Hardeman County: 28.8 %Hardeman County28.8Johnson County: 27.9 %Johnson County27.9Campbell County: 27.8 %Campbell County27.8Grundy County: 27.8 %Grundy County27.8Van Buren County: 27.7 %Van Buren County27.7Hawkins County: 27.6 %Hawkins County27.6Wayne County: 27.6 %Wayne County27.6Carroll County: 27.5 %Carroll County27.5Union County: 27.5 %Union County27.5Rhea County: 27.2 %Rhea County27.2Morgan County: 26.9 %Morgan County26.9Meigs County: 26.6 %Meigs County26.6Scott County: 26.6 %Scott County26.6Perry County: 26.4 %Perry County26.4Dyer County: 26 %Dyer County26Macon County: 26 %Macon County26Obion County: 25.6 %Obion County25.6Sequatchie County: 25.6 %Sequatchie County25.6Crockett County: 25.4 %Crockett County25.4Davidson County: 25.4 %Davidson County25.4Grainger County: 25.2 %Grainger County25.2Houston County: 25.2 %Houston County25.2Coffee County: 25.1 %Coffee 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

RankCounties2018 (%)Change on 2017
1Lake County41.2-5.1 pts
2Hancock County41.1-0.5 pts
3Cocke County35.7-1.6 pts
4Warren County35.3+6.6 pts
5Claiborne County35.2+4 pts
6Bledsoe County35+4.9 pts
7Lauderdale County34.6+6.6 pts
8Shelby County33.2+4 pts
9Haywood County30.80 pts
10Clay County30.7-2.1 pts
11Benton County30+0.3 pts
11Fentress County30-1.2 pts
13Jackson County29.6+2.5 pts
14Carter County29.4+0.4 pts
14Henry County29.4+0.6 pts
16Hardin County29.3+0.9 pts
17Madison County28.9+4.3 pts
18Hardeman County28.8-1.3 pts
19Johnson County27.9-4.9 pts
20Campbell County27.8-4.6 pts
20Grundy County27.8-3.3 pts
22Van Buren County27.7+0.3 pts
23Hawkins County27.6+1.6 pts
23Wayne County27.6-0.3 pts
25Carroll County27.5+1.7 pts
25Union County27.5-1.2 pts
27Rhea County27.2+3.1 pts
28Morgan County26.9+2.1 pts
29Meigs County26.6+0.1 pts
29Scott County26.6-3.2 pts
31Perry County26.4-2.5 pts
32Dyer County26+1 pts
32Macon County26+0.2 pts
34Obion County25.6-3.8 pts
34Sequatchie County25.6-0.7 pts
36Crockett County25.4+0.6 pts
36Davidson County25.4+2.9 pts
38Grainger County25.2-0.5 pts
38Houston County25.2+0.3 pts
40Coffee County25.1+3.6 pts
41Lewis County24.8+0.7 pts
42Lawrence County24.7+2.8 pts
43Sullivan County24.6+0.9 pts
43White County24.6+0.4 pts
45Cumberland County24.4-0.7 pts
45DeKalb County24.4-0.8 pts
47Decatur County24.3-1.1 pts
47Pickett County24.3-1.9 pts
49Hamblen County24.2-0.5 pts
49Hickman County24.2+0.4 pts
51Unicoi County24.1-1.3 pts
52Greene County23.9-0.7 pts
53Marion County23.5-0.1 pts
54Henderson County23.2+1.8 pts
55Monroe County23-3.6 pts
55Sevier County23+3.4 pts
57Bedford County22.8-0.1 pts
57Gibson County22.8+1.3 pts
59Giles County22.7+1.6 pts
60Polk County22.4-0.5 pts
61McNairy County22.3-1.2 pts
61Weakley County22.3-5.1 pts
63Stewart County22.2-1.7 pts
64Cannon County22-0.7 pts
64Chester County22+0.4 pts
64Roane County22+0.7 pts
67Anderson County21.90 pts
68McMinn County21.8-6.6 pts
69Franklin County21.4+1.1 pts
70Bradley County20.9+0.3 pts
70Fayette County20.9+0.2 pts
70Jefferson County20.9+0.4 pts
73Overton County20.8-2.2 pts
74Trousdale County20.5-0.2 pts
75Humphreys County20.3-0.5 pts
76Dickson County20.2+3 pts
77Marshall County19.9+4.1 pts
78Smith County18.8+0.3 pts
79Putnam County18.7-5.1 pts
80Tipton County18.5-0.2 pts
81Lincoln County18.4-0.9 pts
82Hamilton County18.1+0.6 pts
83Washington County18-0.6 pts
84Montgomery County16.6+0.4 pts
85Loudon County16-3.2 pts
86Robertson County15.4-1.2 pts
87Knox County15.2-1.9 pts
87Maury County15.2-0.3 pts
89Moore County14.1-1.5 pts
90Blount County13.5-3.6 pts
91Cheatham County13.4-1.2 pts
92Rutherford County11.8-0.8 pts
93Sumner County11.7+0.2 pts
94Wilson County9.9-1 pts
95Williamson County3.5-0.3 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/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.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), 2018) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.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), 2018. U.S. Census Bureau, 27 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/tennessee-counties?period=2018. 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), 2018. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/tennessee-counties?period=2018.

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), 2018 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/tennessee-counties?period=2018 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_tennessee_by_2018,
  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), 2018}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/tennessee-counties?period=2018. 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/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.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), 2018
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/27
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/tennessee-counties?period=2018
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/tennessee-counties?period=2018.
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/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.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 41.2% in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Williamson County, with 3.5% in 2018.

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