Bradley

TCCY Index Rank 50

Child Population by Race/Ethnicity

HEALTH Low birth-

weight
White, Including
Hispanic 90.6% babies

Black, Including Hispanic 7.1% 9.50%

Native American/Alaskan 0.8%

Asian/Pacific Islander
Rank: 68 Rank: 57
1.5%
Children Child and
Hispanic, All Races 10.7% without teen
health insurance deaths

4.20% 27.2
per
100,000
ECONOMIC Rank: 67 Rank: 54
WELL-BEING
Rank: 27
FAMILY and
Child
Poverty 19.60% COMMUNITY
15
Rank: 62
Rank:

School Teen pregnancy

Median
16.7
suspension per
Household
Income $45,326 rate
Rank: 78
1,000
Rank: 28
5.30% Substantiated

$966
Fair Market Abuse and Neglect
per
Rent
Rank: 69
Rank: 77 4.2 1,000
Rank: 22

EDUCATION 34.70% 37.40% 91.40%

Rank: 45
Third to eighth Third to eighth High school
grade reading grade math graduation rate
proficiency proficiency

Rank: 27 Rank: 42 Rank: 65

 Bradley County
Bradley County
Demographics Tennessee
County Rate as a
percentage of
County
Rate Rank
Number Rate State Rate
Total population (state comparison is number not rate) 104,484 NA 6,651,120 1.6% 13
Population under 18 years of age 23,252 22.3% 22.5% 99.1% 31
Bradley County
Economic Well-Being Tennessee
County Rate as a
percentage of
County
Rate Rank
Number Rate State Rate
Youth unemployment 240 10.5% 15.5% 67.7% 18
Per capita personal income (state is dollars not rate) $37,941 NA $43,326 87.6% 25
Children receiving Families First grants (TANF) 615 2.6% 3.8% 69.9% 13
Children receiving SNAP 7,100 30.5% 32.3% 94.2% 23
Children under five receiving WIC 2,468 40.8% 33.7% 121.2% 42
Bradley County
Education Tennessee
County Rate as a
percentage of
County
Rate Rank
Number Rate State Rate
School age special education services 1,653 10.7% 11.9% 90.3% 14
TEIS participation (per 1,000 in age group) 51 14.14 20.6 68.6% 14
Cohort high school dropouts 56 4.7% 5.6% 83.9% 65
Event high school dropouts 80 1.6% 2.7% 58.1% 62
Economically disadvantaged students 5,097 33.3% 35.7% 93.2% 35
School expulsions (per 1,000 students) 0 0.0 2.0 0.0% 1
Chronic absenteeism 2,827 16.9% 15.8% 107.0% 58
Bradley County
Health Tennessee
County Rate as a
percentage of
County
Rate Rank
Number Rate State Rate
Neonatal abstinence syndrome (per 1,000 live births) 8 6.63 13.2 50.1% 28
Births to mothers who smoked during pregnancy 206 17.1% 13.4% 127.6% 25
Children on TennCare (Medicaid) 13,738 49.9% 51.7% 96.5% 21
Total TennCare (Medicaid) enrollees 23,794 22.8% 23.4% 97.1% 21
Births covered by TennCare (Medicaid) 770 63.8% 52.9% 120.6% 40
Children qualified for Medicaid/CHIP but uninsured 728 5.1% 4.7% 108.5% 71
Infant mortality (per 1,000 live births) 4 3.30 7.4 44.6% 18
Neonatal death (per 1,000 live births) 2 1.70 4.2 40.5% 27
Child deaths (per 100,000 children age 1 to 14) 3 16.90 21.8 77.5% 43
Teen violent deaths (per 100,000 children age 15 to 19) 2 28.00 50.5 55.4% 39
Adequate prenatal care 767 63.5% 52.4% 121.2% 26
Children under age six screened for lead poisoning 1,716 23.6% 18.5% 127.1% 24
Public school students measured as overweight/obese NA 39.1% 38.4% 101.8% 22
Teens with STDs (per 1,000 children age 15 to 17) 40 9.4 16.0 58.8% 34
Medical doctors by county (per 100,000 residents) 37 35.4 240.0 14.8% 63
Dentists by county (per 100,000 residents) 40 38.3 49.3 77.7% 22
Bradley County
Family & Community Tennessee
County Rate as a
percentage of
County
Rate Rank
Number Rate State Rate
Reported child abuse cases 1,529 6.6% 4.9% 134.7% 67
Commitment to state custody (per 1,000 children) 122 4.6 3.8 121.1% 55
Remaining in state custody (per 1,000 children) 157 6.0 4.8 125.0% 55
Juvenile court referrals 878 3.8% 4.5% 84.4% 35
Recorded marriages (per 1,000 residents) 862 8.3 8.6 96.5% 17
Recorded divorces (per 1,000 residents) 342 3.3 3.8 86.8% 21
Births to unmarried females 504 41.8% 43.6% 95.9% 34
Regulated child care spaces (state is number not rate) 3,954 NA 381,686 1.0% 18
Bradley County

At 50th, Bradley County is just inside the bottom half of Tennessee counties in child well-
being. The county’s highest ranking is based on a relatively low percentage of children living
in poverty. Though it is still a higher number than one would hope, Bradley County’s 19.6
percent child poverty rate is better than most counties in Tennessee. The rate of
substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect is relatively low, and the percent of 3rd to 8th
grade children rated proficient in reading on TNReady tests is relatively high. The county’s
biggest challenges are a high rate pregnancy among girls age 15 to 17 and a high rate of
school suspension.

Additional strengths include a high median household income and an above average
percentage of 3rd to 8th grade children rated proficient in math on TNReady tests.

Additional opportunities for improvement include high housing costs, a low high school
graduation rate and the 4.2 percent of children who lack health insurance.

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

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

• Comprehensive sex education classes that include both encouragement of

abstinence and information on birth control have been shown to reduce the
number of teen pregnancies.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Most uninsured children in Tennessee qualify for either TennCare or CoverKids, so
high rates of uninsured children can be improved with outreach to make sure that
families are aware of these insurance opportunities. According to Census Bureau
estimates, Bradley County has over 700 children who qualify for these health
insurance programs but who nonetheless lack insurance.