Tennessee · NCES F-33 finance data

School Funding Equity in Tennessee

140 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
140
Districts ranked

The equity picture in one line

Hancock County ranks first in Tennessee for funding equity at 71/100, in a state whose districts average 38 against a national average of 49.

71/100
top score (Hancock County)
$12,024
per-pupil spending in the top district
1
districts scoring 70 or higher
38
districts below 30
# District Score
1 Hancock County 71
2 Lake County 69
3 Haywood County 67
4 Scott County 66
5 Wayne County 65
6 Van Buren County 63
7 Lauderdale County 61
8 Grainger County 61
9 Polk County 58
10 Fayetteville 58
11 West Carroll Sp Dist 58
12 Hickman County 57
13 Newport 57
14 Mcnairy County 56
15 Clay County 55
16 Hardeman County Schools 54
17 Pickett County 54
18 Obion County 53
19 Morgan County 53
20 Benton County 53
21 Campbell County 52
22 Milan 51
23 Bledsoe County 51
24 Jackson County 51
25 Humboldt City Schools 51
26 Tennessee Public Charter School Commission 50
27 Franklin Ssd 50
28 Decatur County 50
29 Hollow Rock - Bruceton 50
30 Carter County 49
31 Dyersburg 49
32 Crockett County 49
33 Moore County 49
34 Anderson County 48
35 Hawkins County 48
36 Greeneville 47
37 Coffee County 46
38 Union City 46
39 Lexington 46
40 Warren County 45
41 Rhea County 45
42 Houston County 45
43 Unicoi County 44
44 Paris 44
45 Bedford County 43
46 Fentress County 43
47 Perry County 43
48 Bells 43
49 Sevier County 42
50 Union County 42
51 Cocke County 42
52 Claiborne County 42
53 Weakley County 42
54 Dekalb County 42
55 Rogersville 42
56 Sullivan County 41
57 Stewart County 41
58 Meigs County 41
59 Clinton 41
60 Oak Ridge 40
61 Grundy County 40
62 Bradford 40
63 Dickson County 39
64 Roane County 39
65 Marion County 39
66 Giles County 39
67 White County 38
68 Lewis County 38
69 Elizabethton 37
70 Johnson City 36
71 Overton County 36
72 Sequatchie County 36
73 Mckenzie 36
74 Memphis-Shelby County Schools 35
75 Kingsport 35
76 Greene County 35
77 Henderson County 35
78 Tullahoma 35
79 Trenton 35
80 Cleveland 34
81 Hardin County 34
82 Etowah 34
83 Murfreesboro 33
84 Bristol 33
85 Henry County 33
86 Manchester 33
87 South Carroll 33
88 Tipton County 32
89 Monroe County 32
90 Dyer County 32
91 Cannon County 32
92 Hamblen County 31
93 Johnson County 31
94 Fayette County Public Schools 31
95 Chester County 31
96 Humphreys County 31
97 Huntingdon Special School District 31
98 Alamo 31
99 Hamilton County 30
100 Germantown 30
101 Maryville 30
102 Franklin County 30
103 Collierville 29
104 Washington County 29
105 Smith County 29
106 Alcoa 29
107 Dayton 29
108 Knox County 28
109 Lawrence County 28
110 Lincoln County 28
111 Lenoir City 28
112 Trousdale County 28
113 Davidson County 27
114 Williamson County 27
115 Bartlett 26
116 Macon County 26
117 Mcminn County 25
118 Maury County 24
119 Bradley County 24
120 Millington Municipal Schools 24
121 Athens 24
122 Putnam County 23
123 Blount County 23
124 Cumberland County 23
125 Sumner County 22
126 Jefferson County 22
127 Marshall County 21
128 Loudon County 21
129 Gibson Co Sp Dist 21
130 Sweetwater 21
131 Oneida 21
132 Cheatham County 20
133 Lebanon 19
134 Rutherford County 18
135 Montgomery County 18
136 Lakeland 18
137 Madison County 16
138 Robertson County 12
139 Wilson County 11
140 Arlington 11

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 2021-22, released in 2024), 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