Kentucky vs Tennessee
Tennessee comes out ahead of Kentucky on 429 of 788 statistics where one end is better, to 340 with 19 ties. Kentucky leads on Agriculture, Infrastructure & Energy and Sports and 4 more categories. Tennessee leads on Facts & Trivia, Culture and Economics and 4 more categories.
At a glance
Headline statistics, each ranked among all US states.
| Statistic | Kentucky | Tennessee |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 4,629,682 25th of 51 | 7,378,861 15th of 51 |
| Median Household IncomeHousing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $63,726 47th of 51 | $69,595 42nd of 51 |
| Unemployment Rate (%)Unemployment Rate by State (BLS) | 4.6% tied 40th of 51 | 3.5% tied 15th of 51 |
| Poverty Rate (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | 16.1% 47th of 51 | 13.8% 39th of 51 |
| Price Level (All Items)Cost of Living by State (Regional Price Parities) | 90.2 12th of 51 | 91.9 14th of 51 |
| Real Personal Income per Person (2017 Dollars)Real Personal Income by State | $52,290 46th of 51 | $58,582 25th of 51 |
| Average Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by State (BLS) | $58,990 44th of 51 | $60,800 40th of 51 |
| Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $967 6th of 51 | $1,189 23rd of 51 |
| Violent Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by State (FBI) | 212.1 9th of 51 | 492.3 46th of 51 |
| Heating Degree Days per YearClimate by State (1991–2020 Averages) | 4,396 16th of 48 | 3,753 14th of 48 |
By category
Average percentile on each category's widely ranked statistics.
- AgricultureKentucky · 15 statistics
- Infrastructure & EnergyKentucky · 35 statistics
- Facts & TriviaTennessee · 18 statistics
- SportsKentucky · 17 statistics
- CultureTennessee · 78 statistics
- LawKentucky · 66 statistics
- EconomicsTennessee · 288 statistics
- Politics & GovernmentTennessee · 120 statistics
- HealthTennessee · 175 statistics
- TravelKentucky · 29 statistics
- GeographyTennessee · 25 statistics
- EducationTennessee · 51 statistics
- Tech & BusinessKentucky · 47 statistics
- Crime & SafetyKentucky · 75 statistics
- PopulationEven · 116 statistics
- EnvironmentEven · 40 statistics
Biggest differences
The 30 statistics where their rankings differ most, among rankings of at least 26 US states.
| Statistic | Kentucky | Tennessee |
|---|---|---|
| CAS Illegal Executive Corruption Level (1-5)Most Corrupt States | 4 tied last of 48 | 1 tied 1st of 48 |
| Dental Services Cost per CapitaHealth Care Costs by State | $340 1st of 51 | $577 tied 47th of 51 |
| SSI Internal Auditing ScoreMost Corrupt States | 64.6 tied 45th of 50 | 88.2 tied 2nd of 50 |
| CAS Legal Executive Corruption Level (1-5)Most Corrupt States | 5 48th of 48 | 2.5 tied 6th of 48 |
| Violent Crime RateCrime Rate by State | 213 7th of 51 | 592 48th of 51 |
| Avg Combined Sales Tax RateInternet Sales Tax by State | 6% tied 7th of 47 | 9.61% 46th of 47 |
| Annual Mean WageOptometrist Salary by State | $152,100 3rd of 47 | $110,830 40th of 47 |
| Hourly Mean WageOptometrist Salary by State | $73.12 3rd of 47 | $53.29 40th of 47 |
| Health Care RankDisability Benefits by State | 4th 4th of 51 | 44th 44th of 51 |
| Overall ScorePension-Friendly States | 79.1 4th of 49 | 26.3 42nd of 49 |
| LLC Filing FeeLLC Cost by State | $55 10th of 51 | $325 49th of 51 |
| Arts RankBest States to Retire | 44th 44th of 50 | 6th 6th of 50 |
| Overall Homelessness Help ScoreBest States to Be Homeless | 53.31 12th of 50 | 28.72 50th of 50 |
| Violent Crime Rate US NewsSafest States in the US | 224 per 100k 10th of 50 | 628 per 100k 48th of 50 |
| HourlyBCBA Salary by State | $30.76 tied 38th of 49 | $38.20 2nd of 49 |
| WeeklyBCBA Salary by State | $1,230 tied 38th of 49 | $1,528 2nd of 49 |
| AnnualBCBA Salary by State | $63,987 38th of 49 | $79,464 2nd of 49 |
| MonthlyBCBA Salary by State | $5,332 38th of 49 | $6,622 2nd of 49 |
| Violent Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by State (FBI) | 212.1 9th of 51 | 492.3 46th of 51 |
| Kuhl Crime Rate ScoreOff-Grid Living Legal States | 224 12th of 50 | 627 48th of 50 |
| Minimum CostBreast Augmentation Cost by State | $5,000 tied 33rd of 50 | $3,500 tied 2nd of 50 |
| Crime RatePension-Friendly States | 77 11th of 49 | 11 45th of 49 |
| Business CostsEntrepreneur-Friendly States | 10 tied last of 50 | 5 tied 11th of 50 |
| % Change in Prison Pop. 2022 to 2023Prison Population by State | -569.0% 4th of 50 | 673.0% 38th of 50 |
| Crime and Corrections RankWorst States to Live in | 40th 11th best of 50 | 6th 6th worst of 50 |
| Food and Health Support RankBest States to Be Homeless | 12th 12th of 50 | 46th 46th of 50 |
| Safest State Overall Rank US NewsSafest States in the US | 11th 11th of 50 | 45th 45th of 50 |
| Safety RankBest States to Retire | 13th 13th of 50 | 47th 47th of 50 |
| LPC License FeeLPC Requirements by State | $1,500 46th of 46 | $115 15th of 46 |
| State Rank State GovtPublic Land by State | 47th 46th of 49 | 14th 13th of 49 |
Quick answers
- Which is better, Kentucky or Tennessee?
- Tennessee comes out ahead of Kentucky on 429 of 788 statistics where one end is better, to 340 with 19 ties. Kentucky leads on Agriculture, Infrastructure & Energy and Sports and 4 more categories. Tennessee leads on Facts & Trivia, Culture and Economics and 4 more categories. Statistics where neither end is better, and totals that mostly track population, are not counted.
- Which has more people, Kentucky or Tennessee?
- Kentucky has a population of 4,629,682 (25th of 51 US states) and Tennessee has 7,378,861 (15th of 51).
- How do Kentucky and Tennessee compare on Median Household Income?
- Median Household Income: Kentucky $63,726 (47th of 51), Tennessee $69,595 (42nd of 51) among US states. Tennessee ranks better.
- How do Kentucky and Tennessee compare on Unemployment Rate (%)?
- Unemployment Rate (%): Kentucky 4.6% (tied 40th of 51), Tennessee 3.5% (tied 15th of 51) among US states. Tennessee ranks better.
- Where does Kentucky beat Tennessee most clearly?
- Kentucky ranks far ahead on Dental Services Cost per Capita (Health Care Costs by State): $340 vs $577; Violent Crime Rate (Crime Rate by State): 213 vs 592; Avg Combined Sales Tax Rate (Internet Sales Tax by State): 6% vs 9.61%.
- Where does Tennessee beat Kentucky most clearly?
- Tennessee ranks far ahead on CAS Illegal Executive Corruption Level (1-5) (Most Corrupt States): 1 vs 4; SSI Internal Auditing Score (Most Corrupt States): 88.2 vs 64.6; CAS Legal Executive Corruption Level (1-5) (Most Corrupt States): 2.5 vs 5.
More matchups
Other comparisons with Kentucky or Tennessee.
- Alabama vs Kentucky
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- Arkansas vs Kentucky
- California vs Kentucky
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- Connecticut vs Tennessee
- Delaware vs Tennessee