Education is often seen as a key to success, but its significance can vary depending on where you are. While getting a college degree has been seen as a way to achieve the American dream, rising costs have made many people reconsider its value. Other factors like local economies and personal situations also influence whether someone goes to college or starts working right away.
Despite these factors, national data shows a big difference in earnings based on education. On average, college graduates earn 65% more than people with just a high school diploma.
To show which areas have fewer people with higher education, Stacker made a list of the least educated counties in Tennessee using data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Counties were ranked based on the percentage of people aged 25 and older who have a Bachelor’s degree or higher. If counties had the same percentage, the ones with more people without a high school diploma were ranked lower.
Here’s a look at some of the least-educated counties in Tennessee:
- Chester County: 16% have a Bachelor’s degree or higher
- Fentress County: 16% have a Bachelor’s degree or higher
- Cannon County: 15.8% have a Bachelor’s degree or higher
- Stewart County: 15.6% have a Bachelor’s degree or higher
- Obion County: 15.3% have a Bachelor’s degree or higher
- Sequatchie County: 15.1% have a Bachelor’s degree or higher
- Hardin County: 15% have a Bachelor’s degree or higher
These numbers show the need for more efforts to make education better across the state. Education is important for moving up in the economy and making a better life for yourself. So, it’s important to fix the differences in education to help everyone grow and succeed.
Recent data also shows that many cities in Tennessee have education problems. For example, Morristown has the lowest education level in the state, with only 14.9% of adults having a Bachelor’s degree or higher. This shows we need to do more to help people in these areas get better education and chances in life.
As we talk more about education, we need to see how these differences affect everyone in society and work to make education fair and equal for everyone in Tennessee.