In this article, we will explore some of the most liberal cities in Tennessee, where progressive ideas and inclusive attitudes flourish.
If you’re looking to move to Tennessee and want to know where the majority of Tennesseans lean left, you’ve come to the right place.
Specifically, we wanted to know which cities have the highest number of liberal voters in the Volunteer State.
To do so, we analyzed how the people in each city in Tennessee with a population greater than 5,000 voted during the last presidential election. The cities with the highest percentage of voters who voted Democrat were named the most liberal cities in the state.
64.5% Democrat vote · #2 most liberal in Tennessee
Nashville is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in the north central part of the state. The city is a center for the music, healthcare, publishing, private prison, banking and transportation industries, and is home to numerous colleges and universities.
64.5% Democrat vote · #2 most liberal in Tennessee
Located in
Sumner County, TennesseeGoodlettsville is a city in Davidson and Sumner counties, Tennessee. Goodlettsville was incorporated as a city in 1958 with a population of just over 3,000 residents; at the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 15,921 and in 2015 the population was 16,994. Goodlettsville chose to remain autonomous in 1963 when the city of Nashville merged with the government of Davidson County.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
64.4% Democrat vote · #6 most liberal in Tennessee
Located in
Shelby County, TennesseeMemphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the fourth Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers | Compare
64.4% Democrat vote · #6 most liberal in Tennessee
Located in
Shelby County, TennesseeBartlett is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, located northeast of Memphis, and is part of the Memphis metropolitan area. The population was 54,613 at the 2010 U.S. Census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
64.4% Democrat vote · #6 most liberal in Tennessee
Located in
Shelby County, TennesseeCollierville is a town in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and a suburb located in the Memphis metropolitan area. The town had a population of 43,965 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
64.4% Democrat vote · #6 most liberal in Tennessee
Located in
Shelby County, TennesseeGermantown is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 38,844 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
64.4% Democrat vote · #6 most liberal in Tennessee
Located in
Shelby County, TennesseeArlington is a town in Shelby County, Tennessee. The population was 2,569 at the 2000 census and 11,517 at the 2010 census, for a gain of 348.3% during the decade. The 2010 US Census shows that Arlington is the 2nd fastest growing community in the State of Tennessee. It is one of seven municipalities in Shelby County.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
64.4% Democrat vote · #6 most liberal in Tennessee
Located in
Shelby County, TennesseeLakeland is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, and a suburb of Memphis. The population was 12,430 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
64.4% Democrat vote · #6 most liberal in Tennessee
Located in
Shelby County, TennesseeMillington is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 10,176. Millington is the home of the Memphis International Raceway. It was granted the title “Flag City Tennessee” by the Tennessee State Legislature. The Naval Support Activity Mid-South is located at the former Memphis Naval Air Station, which was changed functions from a training base to an administrative one in 1993. There is also a general aviation airport that features the third longest runway in Tennessee.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
53.9% Democrat vote · #10 most liberal in Tennessee
Located in
Haywood County, TennesseeBrownsville is a city in Haywood County, Tennessee. It is the county seat of Haywood County, which is in the broad delta floodplain near the Mississippi River. Its population as of the 2010 census is 10,292.
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 liberal strongholds in Tennessee
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the most liberal cities in Tennessee for 2026
To find the most liberal places in Tennessee, we used Saturday Night Science – the argument you’d make at a bar – to find the cities with the most liberals.
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 lean the most leftward in their allegiances by:
- Percentage Of Votes For Democratic 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 Democrats, 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.
The winner, Alexander , is “The Most liberal City in Tennessee For 2026”. The most conservative place in Tennessee was Lafayette.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the most liberal places to live in Tennessee.
The full plate
Most Liberal Places In Tennessee
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | % Liberal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexander | 690,130 | 64.5% |
| 1 | Goodlettsville | 17,597 | 64.5% |
| 6 | Memphis | 618,980 | 64.4% |
| 6 | Bartlett | 56,876 | 64.4% |
| 6 | Collierville | 51,515 | 64.4% |
| 6 | Germantown | 40,673 | 64.4% |
| 6 | Arlington | 15,205 | 64.4% |
| 6 | Lakeland | 14,192 | 64.4% |
| 6 | Millington | 11,289 | 64.4% |
| 10 | Brownsville | 9,622 | 53.9% |
| 13 | Signal Mountain | 8,860 | 44.1% |
| 13 | Collegedale | 11,330 | 44.1% |
| 13 | Red Bank | 12,010 | 44.1% |
| 13 | East Ridge | 22,070 | 44.1% |
| 13 | Chattanooga | 185,783 | 44.1% |
| 13 | Soddy-Daisy | 13,231 | 44.1% |
| 17 | Jackson | 68,435 | 42.8% |
| 17 | Humboldt | 7,787 | 42.8% |
| 19 | Clarksville | 176,456 | 42.3% |
| 20 | Bolivar | 5,144 | 41.5% |
| 21 | Knoxville | 195,185 | 41.5% |
| 21 | Farragut | 24,634 | 41.5% |
| 24 | Murfreesboro | 161,445 | 41.2% |
| 24 | Smyrna | 56,692 | 41.2% |
| 24 | La Vergne | 40,243 | 41.2% |
| 28 | Fairview | 10,009 | 36.1% |
| 28 | Thompson’s Station | 8,294 | 36.1% |
| 28 | Nolensville | 15,074 | 36.1% |
| 28 | Franklin | 87,133 | 36.1% |
| 28 | Spring Hill | 55,765 | 36.1% |
| 28 | Brentwood | 45,556 | 36.1% |
| 32 | Ripley | 7,658 | 35.6% |
| 33 | Oak Ridge | 32,693 | 33.0% |
| 33 | Clinton | 10,239 | 33.0% |
| 35 | Johnson City | 72,222 | 31.0% |
| 35 | Jonesborough | 6,232 | 31.0% |
| 37 | Columbia | 45,441 | 30.9% |
| 38 | Oakland | 9,979 | 30.6% |
| 39 | Mount Juliet | 42,073 | 29.9% |
| 39 | Lebanon | 44,788 | 29.9% |
| 43 | Hendersonville | 63,091 | 29.9% |
| 43 | Gallatin | 48,532 | 29.9% |
| 43 | White House | 14,631 | 29.9% |
| 43 | Portland | 13,449 | 29.9% |
| 43 | Millersville | 5,836 | 29.9% |
| 46 | Cookeville | 36,088 | 27.3% |
| 47 | Ashland City | 5,424 | 27.2% |
| 47 | Pleasant View | 5,276 | 27.2% |
| 49 | Alcoa | 12,222 | 26.9% |
| 49 | Maryville | 32,392 | 26.9% |
| 51 | Medina | 5,407 | 25.8% |
| 51 | Milan | 8,244 | 25.8% |
| 53 | Springfield | 19,255 | 25.8% |
| 53 | Greenbrier | 6,971 | 25.8% |
| 55 | Tullahoma | 21,103 | 25.4% |
| 55 | Winchester | 9,799 | 25.4% |
| 57 | Hartsville/Trousdale County | 11,957 | 25.3% |
| 58 | Dickson | 16,424 | 25.1% |
| 60 | Atoka | 10,385 | 25.0% |
| 60 | Covington | 8,587 | 25.0% |
| 60 | Munford | 6,588 | 25.0% |
| 62 | Pulaski | 8,285 | 25.0% |
| 63 | McMinnville | 13,844 | 24.5% |
| 64 | Lewisburg | 12,861 | 24.2% |
| 65 | Lenoir City | 11,110 | 23.7% |
| 66 | Paris | 10,338 | 23.6% |
| 66 | McKenzie | 5,631 | 23.6% |
| 68 | Manchester | 12,944 | 23.5% |
| 69 | Shelbyville | 24,661 | 23.3% |
| 71 | Kingston | 6,224 | 23.3% |
| 71 | Harriman | 6,090 | 23.3% |
| 71 | Rockwood | 5,566 | 23.3% |
| 73 | Kingsport | 56,262 | 23.2% |
| 73 | Bristol | 27,636 | 23.2% |
| 75 | Morristown | 31,527 | 22.3% |
| 76 | Martin | 10,915 | 22.0% |
| 77 | Cleveland | 48,829 | 21.5% |
| 78 | Dyersburg | 15,979 | 20.9% |
| 79 | Crossville | 12,428 | 20.8% |
| 80 | Smithville | 5,288 | 20.6% |
| 81 | Sevierville | 18,397 | 20.0% |
| 81 | Pigeon Forge | 6,375 | 20.0% |
| 83 | Jefferson City | 8,579 | 19.7% |
| 84 | Erwin | 5,988 | 19.4% |
| 85 | Union City | 10,982 | 19.1% |
| 86 | Athens | 14,471 | 19.1% |
| 86 | Sweetwater | 6,532 | 19.1% |
| 88 | Fayetteville | 7,057 | 18.7% |
| 89 | Henderson | 6,411 | 18.6% |
| 90 | Greeneville | 15,646 | 18.5% |
| 91 | Elizabethton | 14,374 | 18.5% |
| 92 | Madisonville | 5,241 | 18.1% |
| 93 | Dunlap | 5,678 | 17.9% |
| 94 | Lexington | 7,962 | 17.4% |
| 95 | Dayton | 7,625 | 17.4% |
| 96 | Lawrenceburg | 11,844 | 17.1% |
| 97 | Newport | 6,881 | 17.0% |
| 98 | Church Hill | 7,139 | 16.4% |
| 98 | Mount Carmel | 5,472 | 16.4% |
| 100 | La Follette | 7,273 | 16.3% |
Source: county-level 2020 election results, U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 102 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summing Up The Liberal Snowflakes in Tennessee
Well, there you have it, the places in Tennessee that have the highest number of liberals per capita, with Alexander ranking as the least conservative in the entire state.
The most liberal cities in Tennessee are Alexander , Goodlettsville, Memphis, Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown, Arlington, Lakeland, Millington, and Brownsville.
If you’re curious, here are the least liberal cities in Tennessee. Not sold on Tennessee? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
