Tennessee · NCES F-33 finance data

School Funding Equity in Tennessee

141 districts ranked by how equitably school funding is distributed, scored from NCES F-33 school finance data covering districts in all 50 states.

38
State avg score
49
National avg score
141
Districts ranked

The equity picture in one line

Hancock County ranks first in Tennessee for funding equity at 73/100, in a state whose districts average 38 against a national average of 49.

73/100
top score (Hancock County)
$13,442
per-pupil spending in the top district
1
districts scoring 70 or higher
41
districts below 30
#DistrictScore
1Hancock County73
2Lake County68
3Haywood County66
4Scott County64
5Wayne County63
6Lauderdale County61
7Grainger County61
8Van Buren County61
9Hickman County60
10West Carroll Sp Dist59
11Mcnairy County58
12Clay County57
13Morgan County56
14Polk County56
15Fayetteville55
16Jackson County54
17Obion County53
18Bledsoe County53
19Newport52
20Anderson County51
21Campbell County51
22Hardeman County Schools50
23Franklin Ssd50
24Dyersburg50
25Milan50
26Humboldt City Schools50
27Lexington50
28Tennessee Public Charter School Commission49
29Hawkins County48
30Benton County48
31Moore County48
32Crockett County47
33Pickett County47
34Rogersville47
35Carter County46
36Greeneville46
37Union City46
38Hollow Rock - Bruceton46
39Bradford46
40Fentress County45
41Houston County45
42South Carroll45
43Coffee County44
44Rhea County44
45Decatur County44
46Bedford County43
47Dekalb County43
48Warren County42
49Roane County42
50Union County42
51Weakley County42
52Paris42
53Perry County42
54Sevier County41
55Cocke County41
56Giles County41
57Unicoi County41
58Meigs County41
59Clinton41
60Bells41
61Oak Ridge40
62Sequatchie County40
63Sullivan County39
64Dickson County38
65Lewis County38
66Huntingdon Special School District38
67Tullahoma37
68Stewart County37
69Alamo37
70Washington County36
71Johnson City36
72Greene County36
73Cleveland36
74White County36
75Hardin County36
76Overton County36
77Elizabethton36
78Etowah36
79Memphis-Shelby County Schools35
80Claiborne County35
81Marion County35
82Fayette County Public Schools35
83Kingsport34
84Monroe County34
85Henderson County34
86Trenton34
87Mckenzie34
88Franklin County33
89Henry County33
90Hamilton County32
91Williamson County32
92Germantown32
93Bristol32
94Dyer County32
95Maryville31
96Johnson County31
97Chester County31
98Grundy County31
99Trousdale County31
100Murfreesboro30
101Hamblen County29
102Tipton County29
103Cumberland County29
104Alcoa29
105Cannon County29
106Robertson County28
107Blount County28
108Lincoln County28
109Davidson County27
110Knox County27
111Maury County27
112Collierville27
113Lawrence County27
114Lenoir City27
115Manchester27
116Smith County26
117Humphreys County26
118Mcminn County25
119Macon County25
120Oneida25
121Sumner County24
122Bradley County24
123Achievement School District24
124Athens24
125Dayton24
126Millington Municipal Schools23
127Putnam County22
128Jefferson County22
129Cheatham County22
130Gibson Co Sp Dist22
131Bartlett21
132Marshall County20
133Loudon County20
134Sweetwater20
135Rutherford County18
136Montgomery County16
137Madison County16
138Lebanon16
139Lakeland16
140Arlington15
141Wilson County10

How the Equity Score Works

The equity score (0-100) evaluates four dimensions of school funding fairness. According to the National Center for Education Statistics F-33 Finance Survey (FY 2022-23), which covers more than 17,000 districts nationwide, local property wealth drives most of the spending differences the score captures; our methodology documents each weight:

Per-Pupil Spending (0-25)
Higher spending relative to peers
Need-Adjusted Spending (0-25)
Spending weighted by poverty level, rewards districts that spend more where need is greatest
Funding Diversity (0-25)
Less reliance on local property taxes, more state/federal support
Resource Access (0-25)
Lower student-teacher ratios = more individualized attention