Now that we’re headed towards the next big election, we wanted to get a better sense of what parts of Tennessee would be the most likely to back Donald Trump again.
Specifically, which cities have the highest number of conservative voters in the Volunteer State?
To do so, we used Saturday Night Science to measure how each city in Tennessee with populations greater than 5,000 voted in past elections. The cities with the highest percentage of voters who voted Republican were named the most conservative cities in the state.
85.3% Republican vote · #1 most conservative in Tennessee
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
84.2% Republican vote · #2 most conservative in Tennessee
Located in
Roane County, Tennessee
Harriman is a city located primarily in Roane County, Tennessee, with a small extension into Morgan County. The population of Harriman was 6,350 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
82.8% Republican vote · #3 most conservative in Tennessee
Located in
Hardin County, Tennessee
Savannah is a city in and the county seat of Hardin County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 6,917 at the 2000 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
82.6% Republican vote · #4 most conservative in Tennessee
Located in
Campbell County, Tennessee
LaFollette is a city in Campbell County, Tennessee, United States. Its population was 7,456 at the 2010 census, with an estimated population in 2014 of 7,131. It is the principal city of the LaFollette, Tennessee Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Campbell County, and is a component of the Knoxville-Sevierville-La Follette Combined Statistical Area. While the city’s official spelling is one word -after its founders, Harvey Marion LaFollette and his younger brother Grant LaFollette-several federal agencies spell the city’s name with two words.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
82.2% Republican vote · #6 most conservative in Tennessee
Located in
Hawkins County, Tennessee
Mount Carmel is a town located in Hawkins County, Tennessee. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 5,429, an increase of 634 since the 2000 census. It is part of the Kingsport-Bristol -Bristol Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area – commonly known as the “Tri-Cities” region.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
82.2% Republican vote · #6 most conservative in Tennessee
Located in
Sullivan County, Tennessee
Kingsport is a city in Sullivan and Hawkins counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee; most of the city is in Sullivan County. The population according to the 2010 census is 48,205.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
82.2% Republican vote · #6 most conservative in Tennessee
Located in
Hawkins County, Tennessee
Church Hill is a city in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 5,916 at the 2000 census and 6,737 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Kingsport-Bristol -Bristol Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area – commonly known as the “Tri-Cities” region.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
81.9% Republican vote · #8 most conservative in Tennessee
Located in
Lawrence County, Tennessee
Lawrenceburg is a city in Lawrence County, Tennessee, United States, Lawrenceburg is the largest city on the state line between Chattanooga and Memphis. It sets on the banks of Shoal Creek. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city’s population was 10,428 in 2010, with an estimate of over 14,736 as of the end of 2016. Lawrenceburg is the county seat of Lawrence County. The city is named after War of 1812 American Navy officer James Lawrence.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
81.8% Republican vote · #9 most conservative in Tennessee
Located in
Cocke County, Tennessee
Newport is a city in and the county seat of Cocke County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 6,945 at the 2010 census, down from 7,242 at the 2000 census. The estimated population in 2014 was 6,880. It is located along the Pigeon River.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
81.5% Republican vote · #10 most conservative in Tennessee
Located in
Henderson County, Tennessee
Lexington is a city in Henderson County, Tennessee, United States. Lexington is midway between Memphis and Nashville, lying ten miles south of Interstate 40, which connects the two cities. The population was 7,473 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Henderson County.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Tennessee’s statewide median.
On the map
Mapping the conservative strongholds in Tennessee
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the most conservative cities in Tennessee for 2026
To find the most conservative places in Tennessee, we used Saturday Night Science – the argument you’d make at a bar – to find the cities with the most conservatives.
We started by making a list of every city in Tennessee over 5,000 people based on the 2020-2024 American Community Survey. That left us with 102 cities and towns.
We then measured the voting record and MIT election data to determine which places rock the most rightward in their allegiances by:
- Percentage Of Votes For The Republican President In 2020
Because no voting data exists at the city level, we used county-level election results from the 2020 election. We assigned every city in a county the percentage of votes that went to the Republicans, effectively extending the county’s results to the city level. In cases where larger cities encompassed an entire county, the election outcomes accurately reflected the city’s political landscape.
Next, we ranked each city from 1 to 102 for each criterion, where number one was the most conservative.
The winner, Lafayette, is “The Most Conservative City in Tennessee For 2026”. The most liberal place in Tennessee was Alexander .
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the most conservative places to live in Tennessee.
The full plate
Most Conservative Places In Tennessee
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Conservative Score | Population | % Conservative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lafayette | 1.00 | 5,727 | 85.3% |
| 2 | Harriman | 2.00 | 6,090 | 84.2% |
| 3 | Savannah | 3.00 | 7,412 | 82.8% |
| 4 | La Follette | 4.00 | 7,273 | 82.6% |
| 6 | Mount Carmel | 6.00 | 5,472 | 82.2% |
| 6 | Kingsport | 6.00 | 56,262 | 82.2% |
| 6 | Church Hill | 6.00 | 7,139 | 82.2% |
| 8 | Lawrenceburg | 8.00 | 11,844 | 81.9% |
| 9 | Newport | 9.00 | 6,881 | 81.8% |
| 10 | Lexington | 10.00 | 7,962 | 81.5% |
| 11 | Dayton | 11.00 | 7,625 | 81.0% |
| 12 | Dunlap | 12.00 | 5,678 | 80.7% |
| 13 | Madisonville | 13.50 | 5,241 | 80.7% |
| 13 | Sweetwater | 13.50 | 6,532 | 80.7% |
| 15 | Johnson City | 15.50 | 72,222 | 80.0% |
| 15 | Elizabethton | 15.50 | 14,374 | 80.0% |
| 17 | Union City | 17.00 | 10,982 | 79.8% |
| 18 | Athens | 18.50 | 14,471 | 79.7% |
| 19 | Erwin | 20.00 | 5,988 | 79.4% |
| 20 | Greeneville | 21.00 | 15,646 | 79.3% |
| 21 | Morristown | 22.50 | 31,527 | 79.0% |
| 21 | Jefferson City | 22.50 | 8,579 | 79.0% |
| 23 | Fayetteville | 24.00 | 7,057 | 78.7% |
| 24 | Henderson | 25.00 | 6,411 | 78.5% |
| 25 | Smithville | 26.00 | 5,288 | 78.4% |
| 26 | Dyersburg | 27.00 | 15,979 | 78.0% |
| 27 | Crossville | 28.00 | 12,428 | 78.0% |
| 28 | Pigeon Forge | 29.50 | 6,375 | 77.6% |
| 28 | Sevierville | 29.50 | 18,397 | 77.6% |
| 30 | McKenzie | 31.00 | 5,631 | 77.3% |
| 31 | Cleveland | 32.00 | 48,829 | 76.8% |
| 32 | Martin | 34.50 | 10,915 | 75.7% |
| 33 | Shelbyville | 36.00 | 24,661 | 75.2% |
| 34 | Bristol | 38.00 | 27,636 | 75.1% |
| 35 | Paris | 40.50 | 10,338 | 74.7% |
| 36 | Lewisburg | 42.00 | 12,861 | 74.2% |
| 38 | Kingston | 44.50 | 6,224 | 74.2% |
| 38 | Rockwood | 44.50 | 5,566 | 74.2% |
| 38 | Oak Ridge | 44.50 | 32,693 | 74.2% |
| 40 | Pulaski | 47.00 | 8,285 | 74.1% |
| 41 | McMinnville | 48.00 | 13,844 | 74.0% |
| 42 | Lenoir City | 49.50 | 11,110 | 74.0% |
| 42 | Farragut | 49.50 | 24,634 | 74.0% |
| 44 | Manchester | 51.50 | 12,944 | 73.6% |
| 44 | Tullahoma | 51.50 | 21,103 | 73.6% |
| 47 | Covington | 54.00 | 8,587 | 73.5% |
| 47 | Atoka | 54.00 | 10,385 | 73.5% |
| 47 | Munford | 54.00 | 6,588 | 73.5% |
| 49 | Hartsville/Trousdale County | 56.00 | 11,957 | 73.4% |
| 50 | Winchester | 57.50 | 9,799 | 73.1% |
| 52 | Humboldt | 60.00 | 7,787 | 72.8% |
| 52 | Milan | 60.00 | 8,244 | 72.8% |
| 52 | Medina | 60.00 | 5,407 | 72.8% |
| 56 | White House | 64.00 | 14,631 | 72.8% |
| 56 | Springfield | 64.00 | 19,255 | 72.8% |
| 56 | Greenbrier | 64.00 | 6,971 | 72.8% |
| 56 | Portland | 64.00 | 13,449 | 72.8% |
| 56 | Millersville | 64.00 | 5,836 | 72.8% |
| 59 | Dickson | 67.00 | 16,424 | 72.5% |
| 60 | Ashland City | 68.50 | 5,424 | 71.3% |
| 60 | Pleasant View | 68.50 | 5,276 | 71.3% |
| 62 | Maryville | 70.50 | 32,392 | 71.1% |
| 62 | Alcoa | 70.50 | 12,222 | 71.1% |
| 64 | Cookeville | 72.00 | 36,088 | 70.7% |
| 66 | Gallatin | 75.50 | 48,532 | 68.5% |
| 66 | Hendersonville | 75.50 | 63,091 | 68.5% |
| 66 | Goodlettsville | 75.50 | 17,597 | 68.5% |
| 68 | Collierville | 79.50 | 51,515 | 68.3% |
| 68 | Oakland | 79.50 | 9,979 | 68.3% |
| 70 | Mount Juliet | 81.50 | 42,073 | 67.7% |
| 70 | Lebanon | 81.50 | 44,788 | 67.7% |
| 72 | Spring Hill | 83.50 | 55,765 | 67.4% |
| 72 | Columbia | 83.50 | 45,441 | 67.4% |
| 74 | Jonesborough | 85.50 | 6,232 | 67.2% |
| 75 | Clinton | 87.50 | 10,239 | 65.2% |
| 76 | Ripley | 89.00 | 7,658 | 63.3% |
| 79 | Brentwood | 92.50 | 45,556 | 62.2% |
| 79 | Thompson’s Station | 92.50 | 8,294 | 62.2% |
| 79 | Franklin | 92.50 | 87,133 | 62.2% |
| 79 | Nolensville | 92.50 | 15,074 | 62.2% |
| 79 | Fairview | 92.50 | 10,009 | 62.2% |
| 82 | Bolivar | 96.00 | 5,144 | 57.2% |
| 84 | Murfreesboro | 98.00 | 161,445 | 56.6% |
| 84 | La Vergne | 98.00 | 40,243 | 56.6% |
| 84 | Smyrna | 98.00 | 56,692 | 56.6% |
| 86 | Knoxville | 100.50 | 195,185 | 56.5% |
| 87 | Jackson | 102.50 | 68,435 | 55.7% |
| 88 | Clarksville | 104.00 | 176,456 | 55.0% |
| 91 | Soddy-Daisy | 107.50 | 13,231 | 53.8% |
| 91 | Red Bank | 107.50 | 12,010 | 53.8% |
| 91 | East Ridge | 107.50 | 22,070 | 53.8% |
| 91 | Signal Mountain | 107.50 | 8,860 | 53.8% |
| 91 | Chattanooga | 107.50 | 185,783 | 53.8% |
| 91 | Collegedale | 107.50 | 11,330 | 53.8% |
| 95 | Brownsville | 111.00 | 9,622 | 44.9% |
| 98 | Millington | 115.00 | 11,289 | 34.0% |
| 98 | Lakeland | 115.00 | 14,192 | 34.0% |
| 98 | Bartlett | 115.00 | 56,876 | 34.0% |
| 98 | Memphis | 115.00 | 618,980 | 34.0% |
| 98 | Germantown | 115.00 | 40,673 | 34.0% |
Source: county-level 2020 election results, U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 102 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summing Up The Conservative Strongholds in Tennessee
Well, there you have it, the places in Tennessee that have the highest number of conservatives per capita, with Lafayette ranking as the most conservative in the entire state.
The most conservative cities in Tennessee are Lafayette, Harriman, Savannah, La Follette, Mount Carmel, Kingsport, Church Hill, Lawrenceburg, Newport, and Lexington.
If you’re curious, here are the least conservative cities in Tennessee. Not sold on Tennessee? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
