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Tennessee
Profile of Hunger, Poverty, and Federal Nutrition Programs
Demographics, Poverty, and Food Insecurity
Population (2019)
Value
Total People
6,829,174
Children (Under Age 18)
1,510,051
Income and Poverty (2019)
Value
Median Household Income
$56,071
Rank Among States (Best to Worst)
43
Total People Living In Poverty
922,176
Poverty Rate
13.9%
Rank Among States (Worst to Best)
9
Children (Under Age 18) Living In Poverty
290,815
Child Poverty Rate
19.7%
Rank Among States (Worst to Best)
10
Total People Living Below 185% of Federal Poverty Level
1,982,795
Food Insecurity and Food Hardship
Value
Number of Households that are Food Insecure (2017–2019, 3-year average)
340,875
Percent of Households that are Food Insecure (2017-2019, 3-year average)
12.5%
Number of Households that are Very Low Food Secure (2017–2019, 3-year average)
144,531
Percent of Households that are Very Low Food Secure (2017–2019, 3-year average)
5.3%
Percent of Households Struggling Against Food Hardship (2016-2017, 2-year average)
16.8%
Federal Nutrition Programs
School Breakfast Program (School Year 2018–2019)
Value
Average Daily Student Participation
381,329
Free and Reduced-Price Students
316,379
Paid Students
64,950
Change in Free and Reduced-Price Participation in Last 10 Years
35.4%
Free and Reduced-Price Students Participating in School Breakfast per 100 in School Lunch
64.9
Rank Among States (Best to Worst)
7
Additional Free and Reduced-Price Students Served if Reached School Breakfast to Lunch Ratio of 70:100
24,677
Additional Federal Dollars State Would Receive if Participation Ratio Reached 70:100
$7,167,819
Number of Schools Participating
1,775
Schools Offering School Breakfast per 100 Offering School Lunch
98.3
Federal Funding for School Breakfast
$113,724,444
School Breakfast Mandate in State Law (Yes/No)
Yes
National School Lunch Program (School Year 2018–2019)
Value
Average Daily Student Participation
641,134
Free and Reduced-Price Students
487,223
Paid Students
153,911
Number of Schools Participating
1,805
Federal Funding for School Lunch
$284,533,144
Summer Nutrition Participation (July 2019)
Value
Average Daily Summer Nutrition Participation in July
55,011
July Summer Food Service Participation
29,112
July National School Lunch Participation in Free and Reduced-Price Lunch
25,899
Change in Average Daily Summer Nutrition Participation in Last 10 Years
30.3%
Summer Nutrition Participation as a Ratio to Regular Year Free and Reduced-Price School Lunch Participation
12.2
Rank Among States (Best to Worst)
30
Additional Low-Income Children Served if Reached Ratio of 40:100
125,651
Additional Federal Dollars State Would Receive if Reached Ratio of 40:100
$10,967,471
Number of Summer Food Service Sponsors
43
Number of Summer Food Service Sites
1,286
Federal Funding for Summer Food Service Program
$8,806,599
SNAP/Food Stamp Program
Value
Average Monthly Participation (Individuals) (FY 2018)
832,130
Change in Participation in Last 5 Years (FY 2013–FY 2018)
-36.6%
Average Monthly Benefit per Person (FY 2018)
$131
Participation Rate of Eligible Persons (FY 2017)
92.0%
Rank Among States (Best to Worst)
14
Participation Rate of Eligible Working Poor (FY 2017)
81.0%
Program Access Index (PAI) - Ratio of SNAP Participants to Low-Income Population (CY 2017)
78.2%
Annual Federal Funding for SNAP/Food Stamps (FY 2018)
$108,937,344
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) (FY 2019)
Value
Average Monthly Participation
112,155
Women
29,711
Infants
34,463
Children
47,981
Change in Average Monthly Participation in the last 10 Years (FY 2009–FY 2019)
-35.8%
Federal Funding for WIC
$108,710,181
Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) (FY 2019)
Value
Number of Participating Family Child Care Homes
954
Family Child Care Home Average Daily Participation of Children
7,933
Change in Family Child Care Daily Participation in Last 10 Years
-18.9%
Number of Participating Child Care Centers (Includes Head Start)
1,291
Child Care Center Average Daily Participation of Children (Includes Head Start)
66,781
Change in Center Daily Participation in Last 10 Years
34.9%
Federal Funding for CACFP
$64,949,207
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) (FY 2018)
Value
Federal Entitlement Funding
$5,526,449
Federal Bonus Commodity Funding
$6,680,816
Administrative Funding
$1,896,265
Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) (FY 2018)
Value
Average Monthly Participation
11,241
Federal Funding for CSFP
$3,649,374
State Economic Security Policies
Minimum Wage (2020)
Value
State Minimum Wage
$0
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) (2020)
Value
State EITC (Yes/No)
No
Refundable (Yes/No)
N/A
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
Value
Average Monthly Participation (FY 2018)
49,671
Adults
10,365
Children
39,306
Maximum TANF Benefit, Single-Parent Family of Three (FY 2018)
$185
Federal and State Funding for Cash Assistance (FY 2017)
$61,543,754