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Explore national- and state-level data for hundreds of health, environmental and socioeconomic measures, including background information about each measure. Use features on this page to find measures; view subpopulations, trends and rankings; and download and share content.
Tennessee Value:
Ratio of the poverty rate of the racial/ethnic group with the highest rate (varies by state) to the non-Hispanic white rate among adults age 65 and older
Tennessee Rank:
Additional Measures:
Explore Population Data:
Appears In:
Percentage of Black adults age 65 and older living below the poverty level
10.4% - 17.2%
17.3% - 19.3%
19.4% - 20.7%
20.8% - 21.9%
22.0% - 28.9%
No Data
US Value: 2.2
Top State(s): Oregon: 1.5
Bottom State(s): Connecticut: 4.3
Definition: Ratio of the poverty rate of the racial/ethnic group with the highest rate (varies by state) to the non-Hispanic white rate among adults age 65 and older
Data Source and Years(s): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 1-Year Dataset, 2024
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 1-Year Dataset, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2026.
Poverty is associated with poor health outcomes. It influences environmental exposures and health-related behaviors, and increases the risk of chronic disease and mortality. Among older adults, poverty is linked to increased risk of disability, homelessness, and physical and cognitive decline.
According to America’s Health Rankings analysis, the prevalence of poverty is higher among older adults who identify their race as other, as well as Black, American Indian/Alaska Native and Hispanic older adults, followed by multiracial and Asian older adults. White older adults have the lowest prevalence of poverty.
Many federal, state and local government programs and community interventions exist to support and help reduce the number of older adults living in poverty. Some examples include Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Medicare, Medicaid and housing assistance, as well as food and nutrition support services like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and congregate and home-delivered meal programs.
Long-term approaches are needed to end cycles of generational poverty. Some ways to do this include:
Baker, Kermit, Pamela Baldwin, Kerry Donahue, Angela Flynn, Christopher Herbert, Elizabeth La Jeunesse, Mary Lancaster, et al. Housing America’s Older Adults — Meeting the Needs of an Aging Population. Edited by Marcia Fernald. Cambridge, MA: Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, 2014. https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/media/imp/jchs-housing_americas_older_adults_2014_0.pdf.
Braveman, Paula A., Catherine Cubbin, Susan Egerter, David R. Williams, and Elsie Pamuk. “Socioeconomic Disparities in Health in the United States: What the Patterns Tell Us.” American Journal of Public Health 100, no. S1 (April 1, 2010): S186–96. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2009.166082.
Galea, Sandro, Melissa Tracy, Katherine J. Hoggatt, Charles DiMaggio, and Adam Karpati. “Estimated Deaths Attributable to Social Factors in the United States.” American Journal of Public Health 101, no. 8 (August 2011): 1456–65. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2010.300086.
Glymour, M. Maria, Mauricio Avendano, and Ichiro Kawachi. “Socioeconomic Status and Health.” In Social Epidemiology, edited by Lisa F. Berkman, Ichiro Kawachi, and M. Maria Glymour, 2nd ed., 0. Oxford University Press, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1093/med/9780195377903.003.0002.
Hahn, Robert A., John A. Knopf, Sandra Jo Wilson, Benedict I. Truman, Bobby Milstein, Robert L. Johnson, Jonathan E. Fielding, et al. “Programs to Increase High School Completion: A Community Guide Systematic Health Equity Review.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine 48, no. 5 (March 26, 2015): 599–608. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2014.12.005.
Lansford, Jennifer E., Kenneth A. Dodge, Gregory S. Pettit, and John E. Bates. “A Public Health Perspective on School Dropout and Adult Outcomes: A Prospective Study of Risk and Protective Factors From Age 5 to 27 Years.” Journal of Adolescent Health 58, no. 6 (March 19, 2016): 652–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2016.01.014.
Lubetkin, Erica I., and Haomiao Jia. “Burden of Disease Associated with Lower Levels of Income Among US Adults Aged 65 and Older.” BMJ Open 7, no. 1 (January 2017): e013720. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2016-013720.
Mehdipanah, Roshanak. “Without Affordable, Accessible, and Adequate Housing, Health Has No Foundation.” The Milbank Quarterly 101, no. S1 (April 2023): 419–43. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-0009.12626.
Minkler, Meredith, Esme Fuller-Thomson, and Jack M. Guralnik. “Gradient of Disability Across the Socioeconomic Spectrum in the United States.” New England Journal of Medicine 355, no. 7 (August 17, 2006): 695–703. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMsa044316.
Steptoe, Andrew, and Paola Zaninotto. “Lower Socioeconomic Status and the Acceleration of Aging: An Outcome-Wide Analysis.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 117, no. 26 (June 30, 2020): 14911–17.https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1915741117.
America’s Health Rankings builds on the work of the United Health Foundation to draw attention to public health and better understand the health of various populations. Our platform provides relevant information that policymakers, public health officials, advocates and leaders can use to effect change in their communities.
We have developed detailed analyses on the health of key populations in the country, including women and children, seniors and those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, in addition to a deep dive into health disparities across the country.
