Madison County ranks in bottom among Tennessee counties for child well-being

“The Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth (TCCY) is an independent, nonpartisan agency created by the Tennessee General Assembly to ensure the state’s policies and programs effectively promote and protect the health, well-being and development of children and youth. We support every county as they work to improve outcomes for children, youth, and families. These county profiles serve as a vital tool at the state-level, but they are primarily for county level officials, non-profits, and communities to evaluate where they can celebrate success, opportunities for growth and how to direct their focus and funding for the next year.””

TCCY Executive Director Richard Kenney

Tennessee By the Numbers

Data is primarily from 2022.

Key indicators include:

• Statewide 17.8 percent of children were living in poverty in 2022, slightly down from 18.8

percent of children living in poverty in 2021. In 2022 the lowest percentage was in Williamson

County (3.6 percent) and the highest percentage was in Lake County (42.9 percent)

• Childcare cost burden is defined as the average market rate price for full time care of an infant

and a 2-year-old through school age child, as a percentage of the county’s estimated median

household income. Statewide the childcare cost burden increased significantly to 40.9 percent in 2022-23, up from 27.9 percent in 2021-22. The county with the highest childcare cost burden in 2022-23 is Hardin County at 105.7 percent and the lowest are Fayette and Williamson with 19.6 percent each.

• Tennessee’s rate of children who were victims of abuse or neglect was 9.8 per 1,000 in 2022.

Cocke County had the highest rate at 31.0 and Williamson had the lowest rate at 1.7 per 1,000.

• Statewide chronic absenteeism sits at 19.6 percent in 2022-23, slightly down from 20.3 percent in 2021-22. In 2022-23 the highest rate of chronic absenteeism was in Sequatchie County (34.2 percent) and the lowest was in Williamson County (8.5 percent)

• Tennessee’s youth crime rate increased in 2022 to 58.4 per 1,000, up from 57.8 per 1,000 in

2021. In 2022 Maury County had the highest rate at 99.37 and Perry and Picket Counties had the lowest rate at 0.0 per 1,000.

Comparing data across counties provides a glimpse into the varying needs of each county and the different experiences, access to resources and supports a child may have in one county compared to another.

When it comes to the economic well-being of its residents and the overall state of its children, Madison County ranks among the bottom, at 91st out of 95 counties in the state, according to the KIDS Count report released recently by the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth. The organization ranked each county in Tennessee based on data relative to four factors - economic well-being, family and community, health and education.

In the economic well-being category, Madison County ranked 88th overall in the state. Factors used to determine the ranking in that category include the percentage of children living in poverty as well as cost burdens of families residing in Madison.

With 14.6 percent of families considered severely housing-cost burdened, Madison County’s rank of 92 led to its low rank in overall economic well-being. The county saw slight improvement from last year’s 93rd ranking in severe housing-cost burden. In 2023, the TCCY recorded Madison’s percentage of its families burdened by housing costs at 15.7.

Madison County showed improvement with the number of families that are reportedly burdened by child-care costs. In 2023, the TCCY ranked the county 88th as a result of 34.5 percent of families burdened by the cost of child care. This year, the county improved to 68th in the state, as a result of a reduction in the percentage burdened by child-care costs at 31.8.

Childcare cost burden is defined as the average market rate price for full time care of an infant

and a two-year-old through school age child, as a percentage of the county’s estimated median

household income.

In 2021, Madison County’s percentage of children reportedly living in poverty was recorded at 25 percent, which ranked it 74th among other Tennessee counties. This year’s report, which reflects data from 2022, that percentage was down significantly at 20.4, ranking the county at 39th.

The percentage of children living in poverty across the state was recorded at 17.8, down slightly from last year’s report of 18.8 percent. Williamson County shows the lowest number of children living in poverty at 3.6 percent. Lake County is recording the highest number of children living in poverty at 42.9 percent.

Total population measured in 2023 for Madison County was 99,193, with 22,186 of those under 18 years old. Children make up roughly 22.4 percent of Madison’s overall population. Tennessee recorded a population of 7,126,489 in 2023.

The KIDS Count report utilizes data from a handful of categories to determine a county’s overall economic well-being ranking, including household income and the number of children who receive WIC and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance) benefits. 

Madison County’s median household income reported from 2022 was $57,050. Tennessee’s median household income was listed at $65,231. Madison ranked 40th overall among other counties for its median household income.

In 2022, Madison County’s median home sales price was reported at $238,226, while the state’s average was recorded at $325,000.

There were 6,770 (30.5 percent) children in Madison County who received SNAP benefits during fiscal year 2022-23. Across the state, that percentage was recorded at 22.4 percent.

Madison County’s fair-market rent was listed at $1,269 during fiscal year 2022-23.

The percentage of children under five years old in Madison County receiving WIC benefits in fiscal year 2022-23 was recorded at 41.3, with 2,438 children using the benefit.

According to the KIDS Count report for Madison County, it ranked near the bottom of counties in Tennessee for overall child well-being.

The county’s strongest area was Health.  

Madison’s strongest indicator is the percent of children without health insurance, where the county ranks 16th. The county also performs well in the percent of children living below the federal poverty line at 39th. 

The county’s biggest challenge is the percent of households in the county experiencing a severe housing cost burden, where it ranks 92nd. There are opportunities for improvement in the percent of babies who were born at a low birthweight as well.

See future editions of this newspaper for a break-down of data relative to how the county ranked in Family and Community, Education and Health.

For more information about the TCCY, visit its website, https://www.tn.gov/tccy.

Sabrina Bates, sabrina@richardsonmediagroup.net