What makes Knox County among the healthiest in Tennessee?

Areena Arora, Knoxville News Sentinel
·2 min read

A new study of the health of counties ranks Knox County No. 14 out of the state's 95 counties.

The study by the University of Wisconsin's Population Health Institute ranks counties on more than 90 factors to measure residents' length and quality of life. It takes in a wide range of data points, including diet, exercise, alcohol and drug use and access to quality care. The study also looks at social and economic factors such as high school completion levels, unemployment and income inequality.

Williamson County, just south of Nashville, ranks No. 1.

How Tennessee counties rank by health according to a new study by the University of Wisconsin.
How Tennessee counties rank by health according to a new study by the University of Wisconsin.

Compared to Williamson County, Knox County has more adults with obesity, scored higher on physical inactivity and higher on teen births, among other factors that determined the county's ranking.

Williamson has more than 255,000 people compared to Knox County's population of 480,000. Knox County is projected to grow about 16% by 2040, adding more than 79,000 new residents. The county is in the process of creating a plan to guide its growth. That plan is starting to take shape ahead of a May deadline.

Haywood County ranks the least healthiest in the state.

Most neighboring counties also fare well in the study, with Loudon and Blount counties at No. 7 and No. 8, respectively. Sevier County ranks No. 22, Jefferson County is No. 24. Anderson County is No. 38 and Roane County is No. 42.

In the same study, Knox County was ranked No. 11 last year and No. 13 in 2021. Williamson has retained the top spot for the past two years.

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Some factors that make Knox County among the healthiest in the state

  • Lower rate of teen births

  • Lower population aged under 65 without health insurance

  • High percentage of Medicare enrollees vaccinated for flu

  • Higher ratio of primary care physicians to number of residents

  • Higher percentage of adults aged over 25 with a high school diploma or equivalent

  • Fewer percentage of children in poverty

Factors where Knox County ranks worse than the state

  • Higher average number of reported poor mental health days

  • Lower ratio of number of people to mental health providers

  • Higher number of deaths per 100,000 due to injury

  • Higher air pollution

Areena Arora is a Knox News data investigative reporter and covers education. Email areena.arora@knoxnews.com. Twitter @AreenaArora.

CORRECTION: The map with this story has been updated. A previous version pointed to the wrong county in Middle Tennessee.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knox County 14th healthiest in the Tennessee, new study finds