Теннесси вошел в топ-10 худших штатов США для пенсионеров из-за рекордного уровня насильственных преступлений

A recent study by 24 Hour Caregivers has ranked Tennessee as the sixth worst state to retire, which both surprised and shocked me. As a healthcare executive, I worked extensively in all parts of the state. I also have relatives living in both the middle and eastern parts of the state. If I were going to move from Georgia, it would be to East Tennessee, a beautiful area with a lot to see and do. Per the study, almost all of the 10 worst states were in the South or Southwest, including Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama and Georgia. But the key is the criteria utilized by the healthcare organization putting together the data — air quality, life expectancy, crime, the environment, Medicaid spending, percentage of population over 65 and nursing home quality. Tennessee generally was in the middle of the pack regarding most of these criteria. In other words, no surprise with the exception of one area, discussed below. While these certainly are key factors to be considered, they are not among the reasons my wife and I returned to the South to retire decades ago, after having lived in California for 13 years. For example, cost of living for a retiree in California is much higher than in the South. Plus, this is where our relatives are located. Interestingly, affordability was not one of the study criteria, although it certainly was a factor for my family. Which does force me to question the overall veracity of the document. However, it still does make some very relevant points. Specifically, the key factor in ranking Tennessee so poorly was violent crime (per FBI statistics). This is defined as murder, rape, forceable robbery and aggravated assault. It was surprising to see Tennessee ranked so poorly regarding this factor. In 2024, the state experienced 592 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, two-thirds higher than the U.S. average. The state had one of the worst records in the nation; only Alaska (724 per 100,000) and New Mexico (717 per 100,000) were worse. For example, my home state of Georgia had only 325 violent crimes per 100,000 residents. In other words, there is twice as much violent crime in Tennessee. A major factor was the number of homicides in Memphis. It has been cited as the most murderous city in America. Per another source, in 2024, there were 306 homicides, making Memphis the second most dangerous city for homicides among all large metro areas. For example, with 34 per 100,000 residents, Memphis has a rate double that of Atlanta (17 per 100,000 residents). There were also 2,032 property crimes per 100,000 people in the state, versus 1,760 nationally. So, property crimes (defined as non-violent burglary or larceny) were also 15% higher per capita in Tennessee than in the U.S. — high but not nearly as bad as violent crime. For more on crime in the state, go to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's crime insight website. The violent crime rate in Chattanooga is less than one-third that of Memphis. But the Chattanooga rate is almost double the state's (48% higher). Determining where one wishes to retire is a complex decision involving many factors. The weight of each factor is an individual decision. However, if crime is an important criterion for you, Tennessee may not be the right fit — especially Memphis. Jack Bernard is a retired healthcare executive who worked with healthcare systems in Tennessee, including Chattanooga, and the former director of health planning for the state of Georgia.