Metro Social Services released its annual community needs evaluation report this week, taking a deep dive into the impact of low wages in Nashville.
The report found that about 200,000 workers in Davidson County are making less than the living wage — which, for Nashville, is roughly $53,000 a year. That makes up about half of Nashville workers, the report says.
While 58.5 percent of jobs in Davidson County pay more than $39,997 a year, approximately 326,000 workers in the 20 largest occupations are still making less than the living wage. This includes laborers and material movers, food service employees and retail salespersons, among other low-paying industries.
Low wages in Nashville have a wide-ranging impact that includes health and safety risks.
The report notes that nearly 1 in 5 Nashville children face food insecurity, and workers with continuous low wages are 38 percent more likely to die over the course of 12 years. Low hourly rates often result in a lack of health insurance and can lead to faster cognitive decline, hypertension and a higher body mass index, according to the evaluation.
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Renée Pratt, executive director of Metro Social Services, says in a news release that she has seen a rise in middle- and upper-middle class residents coming to the agency for assistance.
“The economic suffering experienced by some of our seniors, disabled and families was already acute, but we are now witnessing a rapidly deepening impact,” Pratt says in the release.
“Thankfully, our department closely monitors these trends and develops data and trauma-informed solutions to respond to the evolving needs of our community.”
Metro Social Services currently offers food pop-ups, welfare calls for seniors and a workforce development program.
Mayor Freddie O’Connell spoke at the report’s release event on May 14. He said that while it is not easy for Metro to influence the wages of jobs in the private sector, officials are pushing for better wages for city employees. O’Connell said the minimum wage for Metro employees will be increased from $20 to $21.44 an hour in fiscal year 2026.
The mayor also outlined Metro’s commitment to increasing access to affordable housing in line with the recently released unified housing strategy.
“As mayor, it is our full intention to do our best to respond not just to this year’s evaluation but to continue through the themes of recent years to continue building a better Nashville for Nashvillians,” O’Connell said.
This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post.
