Poverty & Welfare in Tennessee

Poverty, food assistance, Medicaid and social safety net programs.

Poverty rate, all ages (SAIPE)
13.3%
2024 · Census Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates
Supplemental Poverty Measure rate
12.4%
2025 · Census CPS ASEC public-use file
Poverty rate, ages 0–17 (SAIPE)
18.4%
2024 · Census Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates
SNAP food assistance recipients
704,118
2023 · Census SAIPE program
Households receiving SNAP
9.4%
2024 · Census American Community Survey 1-year estimates

Official Poverty

Poverty rate, all ages (SAIPE)
13.3%
2024 · Census Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates

Poverty rate, all ages (SAIPE)

1989–2024
13.3%

Census Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (FRED PPAATN47000A156NCEN).

Supplemental Poverty

Supplemental Poverty Measure rate
12.4%
2025 · Census CPS ASEC public-use file

Supplemental Poverty Measure rate

2018–2025
12.4%

Census CPS ASEC public-use file, SPM poverty status weighted by person weight; income year shown (single-year state estimate, wider margin of error than Census's 3-year averages).

Child Poverty

Poverty rate, ages 0–17 (SAIPE)
18.4%
2024 · Census Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates

Poverty rate, ages 0–17 (SAIPE)

1989–2024
18.4%

Census Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (FRED PPU18TN47000A156NCEN).

SNAP Food Assistance

SNAP food assistance recipients
704,118
2023 · Census SAIPE program

SNAP food assistance recipients

1989–2023
704,118▲ 42%

Census SAIPE program, SNAP benefit recipients, July count (FRED BR47000TNA647NCEN).

Safety Net Impact

Households receiving SNAP
9.4%
2024 · Census American Community Survey 1-year estimates
Households with cash public assistance income
1.7%
2024 · Census American Community Survey 1-year estimates

Households receiving SNAP

2008–2024
9.4%

Census American Community Survey 1-year estimates, B22001 (2020 not released).

Households with cash public assistance income

2008–2024
1.7%

Census American Community Survey 1-year estimates, B19057 (2020 not released).