When it comes to taxes, Tennesseans can smile
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Those are just two of over 60 statistical findings revealed by The Taxpayers Network in a recently released 50 State Comparison. The Taxpayers Network is a non-profit organization founded in 1992 with the mission of educating the general public about government and public policy.
The comparison revealed just 57.5 percent of Tennesseans graduate from high school ? a figure that ranks 47th in the nation. The No. 1 state, New Jersey, graduates 86 percent of its high school students.
However, Tennessee is one of the best states in the country as far as the overall tax burden on its residents. Tennesseans only use 8.4 percent of their income to pay state and local taxes ? third best in the U.S.
Is there a correlation between Tennessee?s low tax rate and its shoddy graduation rate? Marc Duff, senior research and policy director for The Taxpayers Network, sure thinks so.
?The statistics do indicate Tennessee is struggling with educational achievement considering the very low ranking for high school graduation rate as well as the low ACT test scores,? said Duff. ?Tennessee is also very low, ranked 44th, in expenditures per pupil. One could assume spending on school is the reason for low performance and the statistics tend to show that.?
?However, there are some low-spending states that have decent test scores like Iowa and Washington,? Duff added.
Iowa ranks 37th in education spending, but seventh in graduation rate. Washington is 30th in education spending, but third in average ACT score.
One of the most shocking figures is a national statistic that shows 35.7 percent of all births are to unmarried mothers. If looking strictly at African Americans, an astounding 68.7 percent of all births are to unmarried mothers.
?If you consider the research that indicates children born to single parents are at a greater risk of living in poverty and face adverse health, behavioral and academic outcomes, these statistics show a serious problem that needs attention,? said Duff.
Tennessee is best in the nation in one category ? outstanding state debt. With only $608 in per capita debt, Tennessee is more than 10 times better than Alaska, which has the worst per capita debt at $8,709.
Tennessee is second in the nation in the category of economic freedom, which gauges local tax burdens, regulations and labor rights. The state also ranks highly in the small business survival index where it comes in 15th.
?Tennessee ranks high in regards to its business climate,? said Duff. ?That?s probably due to its low taxes.?
Tennesseans fare well when it comes to automobile insurance premiums. State residents pay an average of $650 per year, which ranks 41st. By comparison residents of New Jersey pay the most annually for car insurance at $1,188.
Tennessee is also in the upper half when it comes to the number of police and firefighters per 10,000 residents. The state ranks 16th in number of police officers (30.8) and 17th in number of firefighters (11.9).
As far as negative statistics, the Volunteer State is No. 2 in the country when it comes to the percentage of residents on welfare (3.2 percent).
Tennessee is fifth highest in the nation when it comes to violent crime per 100,000 residents (688).
And Tennessee is near the bottom of the pack (48th) when it comes to the overall health of its residents. Overall health is determined by such factors as smoking, obesity, crime, vehicle deaths, child poverty and health care access.