Tennessee

State Office of Rural Health

Tennessee Office of Rural Health

Phone: 615.741.0380

Works to improve and enhance the accessibility, availability, and affordability of quality healthcare in Tennessee by creating a central focus and coordination of rural healthcare resources. A division of the Tennessee Department of Health.
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Tennessee Nonmetro Population

6,772,268

Estimated population

1,478,757 (21.8%)

People living in nonmetro areas

Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020 estimate

Tennessee Rural Healthcare Facilities

17

Critical Access Hospitals

270

Rural Health Clinics

99

Federally Qualified Health Centers*

40

Short Term/PPS Hospitals*

*Sites according to data.HRSA.gov (July 2023), showing only locations outside of U.S Census Bureau Urban Areas with a population of 50,000 or more

Selected Social Determinants of Health for Rural Tennessee

10.1% of Tennessee residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2021). According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per capita income for Tennessee residents in 2020 was $51,046, with the rural per capita income at $39,938. The ERS reports, based on 2020 ACS data, that the poverty rate in rural Tennessee is 15.6%, compared with 13.0% in urban areas of the state. 15.0% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 10.1% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma according to 2017-2021 ACS data reported by ERS. The unemployment rate in rural Tennessee is 4.4%, while in urban Tennessee, it is 4.3% (USDA-ERS, 2021).