Tennessee climbs national ranks in children's health

A new report ranks Tennessee No. 39 in the nation for children's health — two spots higher than its score last year. The 2026 Kids Count Data Book, a report on children's well-being produced annually by the private philanthropy Annie E. Casey Foundation, notes that the state has improved from its baseline 2019 data in two metrics: low birth-weight babies and children ages 10 to 17 who are overweight or obese. The analysis uses data from 2024. The latest data reports that: 8.8% of babies in Tennessee weighed less than 5.5 pounds 7% of children did not have health insurance There were 38 child and teen deaths per 100,000 33% of children aged 10-17 were overweight or obese For the first time in its history, the report also gave states individual comprehensive scores out of 1,000. Tennessee's individual health score slightly improved by 21 points. Its overall score is 475, 72 points below the national score. The state remains at No. 37 in the nation for children's well-being, the same as last year. It improved the most in education since last year, according to nonprofit research center The Sycamore Institute, with the second-largest score improvement in the country during that time period. Its national rankings in the measured categories were: Education: No. 18 Economic well-being: No. 42 Family and community: No. 42 "Tennessee continues to distinguish itself through notable gains in educational attainment," said Mandy Spears, executive vice president of The Sycamore Institute, in a news release. "Other areas of child well-being, particularly economic well-being and health, show more mixed progress in comparison." The Sycamore Institute also highlighted further areas where the state could improve, such as the 29% of children living in households with a high housing cost burden — the first time that percentage has risen since 2019.