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Weakley County Ranks 6th Among Tennessee Counties for Child Well-Being

KIDS Count report released last week by Commission on Children and Youth

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When it comes to the economic well-being of its residents and the overall state of its children, Weakley County ranks 6th out of 95 counties in the state, according to the KIDS Count report released last week 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, Weakley County ranked 32nd 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 Weakley.

With 7.9 percent of families considered severely housing-cost burdened, Weakley County’s rank of 22 led to its high rank in overall economic well-being. The county saw deterioration from last year’s 11th ranking in severe housing-cost burden. In 2023, the TCCY recorded Weakley’s percentage of its families burdened by housing costs at 7.7%.

Weakley County showed improvement with the number of families that are reportedly burdened by child-care costs. In 2023, the TCCY ranked the county 66th as a result of 27.4 percent of families burdened by the cost of childcare. This year, the county improved to 16th in the state, and it saw a lower percentage burdened by child-care costs at 23.6%.

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, Weakley County’s percentage of children reportedly living in poverty was recorded at 21.4% percent, which ranked it 46th among other Tennessee counties. This year’s report, which reflects data from 2022, that percentage was up at 22.9, ranking the county at 61st.

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 Weakley County was 33,084, with 6,214 of those under 18 years old. Children make up roughly 18.8% percent of Weakley’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.

Weakley County’s median household income reported from 2022 was $49,815. Tennessee’s median household income was listed at $65,231. Weakley ranked 73rd overall among other counties for its median household income.

In 2022, Weakley County’s median home sales price was reported at $158,892, while the state’s average was recorded at $325,000.

There were 1,583 (25.5 percent) of children in Weakley County who received SNAP benefits during fiscal year 2022-23. Across the state, that percentage was recorded at 22.4 percent.

Weakley County’s fair-market rent was listed at $909 during fiscal year 2022-23.

The percentage of children under five years old in Weakley County receiving WIC benefits in fiscal year 2022-23 was recorded at 32.8%, with 526 children using the benefit.

According to the KIDS Count report for Weakley County, it ranked in the top ten of counties in Tennessee for overall child well-being.

The county’s strongest area was Education where the county ranked 6th place overall.

Weakley’s strongest indicator is the 3rd to 8th grade reading proficiency where the county ranked 6th, moving up from 9th and 3rd to 8th grade math proficiency where the county ranked 10th moving up from 12th.

The county’s biggest challenge is the percent of children living below the federal poverty line, where it ranks 61st.

There are opportunities for improvement in the percent of students in kindergarten needing full immunization series where the county ranked at 42nd.

See future editions of this newspaper for a breakdown 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