Tennessee Ranked 43rd in Nation For Senior Health, Wellbeing

America’s Health Rankings has released its 2026 Senior Report, which ranks Tennessee as 43rd in the nation for senior health and wellbeing.

The 2026 Senior Report ranks all 50 states across dozens of measures for adults 65 and older. Vermont made the first place spot, while Louisiana landed at 50th in the nation for senior health.

Key findings indicate that Tennessee’s nursing homes have improved 33% in quality between September 2024 and November 2025. Tennessee has a low prevalence of low-care nursing home residents and a high number of geriatric clinicians per 100,000 older adults.

However, Tennessee has a high early death rate and low SNAP participation among older adults in poverty.

See where Tennessee stands in Social and Economic Factors, Physical Environment, Clinical Care, Behaviors and Health Outcomes for seniors:

Tennessee is ranked 45th in Health Outcomes, which includes Behavioral Health, Mortality and Physical Health.

Under Behavioral Health, Tennessee seniors are ranked 31st in Drug Deaths and 34th in Suicide.

Under Mortality, Tennessee seniors are ranked 44th in Early Death.

Under Physical Health, Tennessee seniors are ranked 45th in Falls and 36th in Multiple Chronic Conditions.

Tennessee is ranked 42nd overall in Behaviors, which includes Nutrition and Physical Activity and Sleep Health.

Under Nutrition and Physical Activity, Tennessee seniors are ranked 36th in Exercise and 34th in Fruit and Vegetable Consumption.

Under Sleep Health, Tennessee seniors are ranked 20th in Insufficient Sleep.

Tennessee is ranked 40th overall in Clinical Care, which includes Access to Care and Quality of Care.

Under Access to Care, Tennessee is ranked 20th in Geriatric Clinicians and 42nd in Home Health Care Workers.

Under Quality of Care, Tennessee is ranked 30th in Hospice Care, 30th in Nursing Home Quality and 32nd in Preventable Hospitalizations.

Tennessee is ranked 39th overall in Social and Economic Factors, including Community and Family Safety, Economic Resources and Social Support and Engagement.

Under Community and Family Safety, Tennessee is ranked 22nd in Internet Crime and 45th in Motor Vehicle Deaths involving seniors.

Under Economic Resources, Tennessee is ranked 44th in Community Support Expenditures, 19th in Food Insecurity, 29th in Poverty and 38th in SNAP Reach.

Under Social Support and Engagement, Tennessee is ranked 31st in High-Speed Internet, eighth in Low-Care Nursing Home Residents, 41st in Risk of Social Isolation and 17th in Volunteerism.

Tennessee is ranked ninth overall in Physical Environment, which includes Air and Water Quality and Housing.

Under Air and Water Quality, Tennessee is ranked 23rd in Air Pollution and 15th in Drinking Water Violations.

Under Housing, Tennessee is ranked eighth in Housing Cost Burden for seniors.