Health Profile of Tennessee
Tennessee Health Score
The Map AI Health Index is a score that reflects local life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment to help you quickly compare the overall health and well-being of different areas.
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C
Tennessee Below averageLess healthy than 82% of states in US
Source: Map AI Methodology
Healthiest and Least Healthy Counties in Tennessee
- Williamson County (104% of U.S. avg)
- Rutherford County (101% of U.S. avg)
- Wilson County (101% of U.S. avg)
- Clay County (95% of U.S. avg)
- Lake County (95% of U.S. avg)
- Hancock County (95% of U.S. avg)
Ranked by the Map AI Health Index, which combines life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment.
General Health Overview
| Metric | Tennessee | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 10.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 19.5% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Tennessee is 74.8 years, about 3.5 years shorter than the US average of 78.3 years. The uninsured rate is 10.0%, higher than the US average of 8.4%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 19.5% of residents, higher than the US average of 16.3%.
Population by Age
Older residents
2,466,302 residents in Tennessee are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 113,259 38,742 men · 74,517 women
- 75–84 338,325 143,455 men · 194,869 women
- 65–74 660,692 308,244 men · 352,448 women
- 50–64 1,354,027 662,124 men · 691,903 women
Younger residents
1,508,164 residents in Tennessee are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 469,805 240,733 boys · 229,072 girls
- 7–12 444,848 228,433 boys · 216,415 girls
- 3–7 340,990 174,967 boys · 166,022 girls
- 0–3 252,521 129,265 boys · 123,256 girls
About 461,832 residents in Tennessee (6.5% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 74.8 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Tennessee | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 13.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.0% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.1% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 37.9% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Tennessee is about 20% higher than in US.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Tennessee | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 25.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 13.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 28.4% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Tennessee is about 32% higher than in US. The rate of binge drinking in Tennessee is about 17% lower than in US.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 13.8 million cigarettes a day, 413.5 million a month, or 5.0 billion a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 151.6 million minutes a day and 55.3 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Tennessee is 74.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 3.86 lifetimes a day, or 1,407 lifetimes a year.
* Source: Shaw M, Mitchell R, Dorling D. "Time for a smoke? One cigarette reduces your life by 11 minutes." BMJ. 2000;320:53.
Illustrative only. This is not an estimate of how many people actually die from smoking each day or year - it's a rough, order-of-magnitude comparison meant to help grasp the scale of smoking in this area. We take no responsibility for any decisions made based on this figure.
Air Quality
| Metric | Tennessee | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.39 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.4 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Tennessee is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Tennessee Health Compared With Nearby States
Tennessee is the 2nd largest of the 6 states compared here, 7,058,506 residents against a local median of 5,083,438. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest states, which makes Tennessee an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is uninsured, 9% above the local median at 10.0% against 9.2%. Tennessee has the 4th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | 7,058,506 | 74.8 yrs #4/6 | 10.0% #4/6 | 37.9% #1/6 |
| Kentucky | 4,533,530 | 75.0 yrs | 6.0% | 39.7% |
| Alabama | 5,083,438 | 74.7 yrs | 9.2% | 41.3% |
| Indiana | 6,845,048 | 77.4 yrs | 7.4% | 38.8% |
| Georgia | 10,939,918 | 75.8 yrs | 12.4% | 38.0% |
| Mississippi | 2,946,497 | 74.7 yrs | 11.0% | 41.8% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Tennessee has an overall health index grade of C, making it about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Tennessee.
Is Tennessee a healthy place to live?
Tennessee has a Map AI Health Index grade of C, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a C grade means residents are close to the U.S. average.
Is Tennessee one of the healthiest states in the U.S.?
Tennessee ranks 42nd healthiest out of 51 states in the U.S. by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
How long do people live in Tennessee?
People in Tennessee can expect to live 74.8 years on average, 3.5 years shorter than the US average of 78.3.
What percentage of Tennessee residents are uninsured?
10.0% of residents in Tennessee have no health insurance, about 1 in 10 people, 1.6 points above the US rate of 8.4%.
What is the obesity rate in Tennessee?
37.9% of adults in Tennessee are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 3.6 points above the US rate of 34.3%.
Which health problem stands out most in Tennessee?
Compared with the U.S. as a whole, smoking stands out most: the adult rate here is 25.1%, about 32% higher than the US rate of 19.0%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Tennessee go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 13.8 million cigarettes a day, 413.5 million a month, or 5.0 billion a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 151.6 million minutes a day and 55.3 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Tennessee is 74.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 3.86 lifetimes a day, or 1,407 lifetimes a year.
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