Top 10 States with the Most Poverty

Tennessee

The great state of Tennessee continues to struggle with unemployment rates as high as 8.5% making them number 7 on the top 10 list. Cuts in government jobs, both state and local, have severely impacted the state’s ability to decrease unemployment levels.

With a median income of about $42,700, 25% of the state’s children are living in poverty situations with a third of them relying on food and medical assistance. In addition it is estimated that almost 50% of pregnant women in Tennessee are not receiving appropriate prenatal care. When children are born into this type of poverty it can be very difficult to break the cycle.