Hamilton

TCCY Index Rank 54

Child Population by Race/Ethnicity

HEALTH Low birth-

weight
White, Including
Hispanic 71.6% babies

Black, Including Hispanic 24.7% 10.40%

Native American/Alaskan 0.8%

Asian/Pacific Islander
Rank: 30 Rank: 71
2.9%
Children Child and
Hispanic, All Races 10.1% without teen
health insurance deaths

2.80% 32.3
per
100,000
ECONOMIC Rank: 1 Rank: 67
WELL-BEING
Rank: 25
FAMILY and
Child
Poverty 19.10% COMMUNITY
14
Rank: 67
Rank:

School Teen pregnancy

Median
12.2
suspension per
Household
Income $48,690 rate
Rank: 48
1,000
Rank: 18
8.70% Substantiated

$1,019
Fair Market Abuse and Neglect
per
Rent
Rank: 74
Rank: 90 3.8 1,000
Rank: 17

EDUCATION 31.80% 38.40% 83.80%

Rank: 71
Third to eighth Third to eighth High school
grade reading grade math graduation rate
proficiency proficiency

Rank: 45 Rank: 36 Rank: 86

 Hamilton County
Hamilton County
Demographics Tennessee
County Rate as a
percentage of
County
Rate Rank
Number Rate State Rate
Total population (state comparison is number not rate) 357,745 NA 6,651,120 5.4% 4
Population under 18 years of age 75,402 21.1% 22.5% 93.9% 51
Hamilton County
Economic Well-Being Tennessee
County Rate as a
percentage of
County
Rate Rank
Number Rate State Rate
Youth unemployment 830 12.6% 15.5% 81.3% 28
Per capita personal income (state is dollars not rate) $48,053 NA $43,326 110.9% 4
Children receiving Families First grants (TANF) 2,794 3.7% 3.8% 98.9% 50
Children receiving SNAP 22,679 30.3% 32.3% 93.7% 22
Children under five receiving WIC 6,234 29.9% 33.7% 88.7% 12
Hamilton County
Education Tennessee
County Rate as a
percentage of
County
Rate Rank
Number Rate State Rate
School age special education services 4,812 11.1% 11.9% 93.1% 16
TEIS participation (per 1,000 in age group) 208 16.70 20.6 81.1% 27
Cohort high school dropouts 287 9.5% 5.6% 169.6% 87
Event high school dropouts 447 3.1% 2.7% 114.8% 91
Economically disadvantaged students 15,496 36.0% 35.7% 100.8% 47
School expulsions (per 1,000 students) 256 6.0 2.0 300.0% 94
Chronic absenteeism 7,906 17.1% 15.8% 108.2% 59
Hamilton County
Health Tennessee
County Rate as a
percentage of
County
Rate Rank
Number Rate State Rate
Neonatal abstinence syndrome (per 1,000 live births) 22 5.13 13.2 38.8% 19
Births to mothers who smoked during pregnancy 435 10.1% 13.4% 75.4% 7
Children on TennCare (Medicaid) 41,610 47.0% 51.7% 90.9% 14
Total TennCare (Medicaid) enrollees 72,087 20.2% 23.4% 86.0% 12
Births covered by TennCare (Medicaid) 1,903 44.4% 52.9% 83.9% 8
Children qualified for Medicaid/CHIP but uninsured 1,482 3.7% 4.7% 78.7% 12
Infant mortality (per 1,000 live births) 33 7.70 7.4 104.1% 55
Neonatal death (per 1,000 live births) 22 5.10 4.2 121.4% 59
Child deaths (per 100,000 children age 1 to 14) 16 27.30 21.8 125.2% 68
Teen violent deaths (per 100,000 children age 15 to 19) 9 42.20 50.5 83.6% 53
Adequate prenatal care 2,474 57.7% 52.4% 110.1% 46
Children under age six screened for lead poisoning 4,484 17.9% 18.5% 96.3% 51
Public school students measured as overweight/obese NA 34.5% 38.4% 89.8% 7
Teens with STDs (per 1,000 children age 15 to 17) 199 15.8 16.0 98.8% 58
Medical doctors by county (per 100,000 residents) 849 237.3 240.0 98.9% 6
Dentists by county (per 100,000 residents) 199 55.6 49.3 112.8% 5
Hamilton County
Family & Community Tennessee
County Rate as a
percentage of
County
Rate Rank
Number Rate State Rate
Reported child abuse cases 3,769 5.0% 4.9% 102.0% 31
Commitment to state custody (per 1,000 children) 250 3.0 3.8 78.9% 24
Remaining in state custody (per 1,000 children) 347 4.2 4.8 87.5% 30
Juvenile court referrals 3,882 5.1% 4.5% 113.3% 51
Recorded marriages (per 1,000 residents) 2,448 6.8 8.6 79.1% 44
Recorded divorces (per 1,000 residents) 1,251 3.5 3.8 92.1% 30
Births to unmarried females 1,797 41.9% 43.6% 96.1% 35
Regulated child care spaces (state is number not rate) 19,567 NA 381,686 5.1% 5
Hamilton County

At 54th, Hamilton County is just outside the top half of Tennessee counties in child well-
being. The county’s best rankings include the lowest percentage of uninsured children in
the state and a relatively low rate of children living in poverty. At 19.1 percent—nearly one
in five—this child poverty rate is still too high, but it is among the lowest in the state. The
county’s biggest challenges include having one of the highest rates of school suspension in
the state and a low high school graduation rate.

Additional strengths include a relatively low rate of substantiated cases of child abuse and
neglect and a high median household income.

Additional opportunities for improvement include high housing costs, a high rate of babies
born at a low birthweight and an above-average rate of child and teen deaths.

Policy/Practice/Program Options to Improve Outcomes. Many of these policies have multiple

models for delivery, including public-private partnership and non-profit leadership.

• Suspension rates can be reduced through clear definitions of what constitutes

suspendable behavior and a focus on restorative discipline practices that aim to
improve behavior while keeping children in school.
• Making high school students aware of the community college and technical school
benefits available to them through Tennessee Promise can encourage on-time high
school graduation.
• Pro-active housing policy that helps ensure affordable housing is available for
people to live where they work can improve negative outcomes related to high
housing costs.
• Low birthweight is a persistent and difficult problem, but improvements can occur
when care is made available for chronic physical and mental health and substance
abuse conditions for women of childbearing age as well as improving outreach to
those who may qualify to receive SNAP, WIC and/or TennCare benefits to be sure
they are aware of these services. Expanding services through Family Resource
Centers can help reach these vulnerable populations.
• Child and teen deaths can be reduced with consistent enforcement of safety
measures like proper car seat and seat belt use, bicycle helmet use and life
preserver use around water. Most child and teen deaths are the result of accidents,
especially motor vehicle accidents.