NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A new brief from the Sycamore Institute shows Tennessee families need far more money to cover basic needs than federal poverty guidelines recognize — and many households earning what sounds like a comfortable income likely don't qualify for assistance.
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The Sycamore Institute, a Tennessee-based nonpartisan research center, used the ALICE household survival budget to calculate the figures. This is an estimate of the minimum income a household needs to afford necessities like housing, food, childcare, transportation and healthcare. Those costs are calculated county by county, so the threshold varies across Tennessee.
According to the brief, ALICE's estimated Tennessee household survival budgets were between 85% and 164% higher than federal poverty thresholds in 2024, depending on household type. Today's official federal poverty measure was developed in the 1960s based on 1963 food costs and spending patterns, showing that food accounted for about one-third of household expenses.
The brief breaks down the minimum annual income needed just to cover the basics by household type. The figures include no savings, no vacation, and no splurges of any kind.
These are the state averages:
- One adult: $30,200 per year
- One adult with one child: $41,700
- One adult with one young child: $46,000
- Two adults: $42,900
- Two older adults: $50,100
- Two adults with two children: $66,300
- Two adults with two young children: $74,600
The estimated costs of basic needs vary considerably by county across Tennessee. The top five highest-cost counties are all in Middle Tennessee: Williamson, Wilson, Rutherford, Trousdale and Robertson counties.
As for Davidson County, it ranks 11th. It is also one of only a few counties where the income needed to get by is slightly higher for households headed by someone 65 or older than for those under 65.
If these numbers hit close to home, your story matters. Email hannah.mcdonald@newschannel5.com. I want to hear from you, and I want lawmakers to hear it too.
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