Tennessee

According to the 2000 census, of the slightly more than 3.7 million people over the age of 25 in Tennessee, 76 percent have earned a high school diploma or higher, 44 percent have some college, nearly 20 percent have earned a college degree, and 6.8 percent hold advanced degrees. All of these figures are lower than the national average. About one-half of Tennessee's 1.5 million families had children under the age of 18, with an average of 1.75 children per family.

With a population in 2006 of slightly more than 6 million, Tennessee reported 84,308 births, a crude birth rate of 14 percent. From 1997 to 2006, the percent of out-of-wedlock births increased 5.1 percent for mothers aged 10–17, 21.5 percent for mothers 18–19, and 32.3 percent for mothers 20 years and older. In 2007, the state reported a rate of 4.4 divorces per 100,000 population. The state has both “fault” and “no fault” grounds for granting divorces. No-fault divorces are more easily obtained where there are no minor children. Tennessee's public health care system, with an annual budget of $7 billion, is known as TennCare, and provides health coverage for 1.2 million low-income children, pregnant women, and disabled Tennesseans. The state's Families First program (called Temporary Aid to Needy Families in other states) provides funding for low-income families. The state also provides, as required by law, funding under Aid to Families with Dependent Children for pregnant women and newborns to the age of 1. Once babies reach the first birthday, the mothers much requalify through the state's Department of Health Services.