Is Tennessee a red state?
Yes, and it is one of the most reliably Republican states in the country. Trump carried Tennessee by nearly 30 points in 2024, and Republicans hold supermajorities in both chambers of the legislature. Here is what the numbers show.
Talk to a Tennessee agent Explore Tennessee →Not a swing state, and not close
Tennessee has voted Republican in every presidential election since 2000, and by double-digit margins since 2004. Unlike Florida, Tennessee does not register voters by party, so the clearest evidence is election results and legislative control. Both point the same direction, and the margin has been widening.
A margin that keeps growing
2016
Trump won by 26.0 points, already one of the widest margins in the country.
2020
Trump won by 23.2 points, a slight narrowing against national trends.
2024
Trump won 64.2% to 34.5%, a margin of 29.7 points and more than 1.96 million votes.
The 2024 result was the best Republican presidential performance in Tennessee since Richard Nixon in 1972. Trump carried 75 of the state's 99 House districts.
Republican supermajorities in both chambers
Republicans hold the governor's office, both U.S. Senate seats, the large majority of the congressional delegation, and supermajorities in both the state House (75 to 24) and state Senate (27 to 6). A supermajority matters more than a simple majority, because it allows the legislature to move measures without needing any votes from the minority party.
For anyone weighing Tennessee on policy direction rather than any single election, that unified control is the more durable signal.
What a statewide label does not tell you
The cities are a different story
Nashville, Memphis, and to a lesser degree Knoxville and Chattanooga lean Democratic, some of them heavily. Davidson County and Shelby County vote very differently from the counties surrounding them. If political culture is part of why you are moving, the county matters far more than the state.
2026 is an active election year
Tennessee has a governor's race and a redrawn congressional map on the ballot this year, with primaries on August 6. The new map is expected to favor Republicans across the state's House seats, though analysts note that midterm conditions could make a small number of them more competitive than the presidential numbers suggest.
None of this changes the underlying answer. Tennessee is solidly red at the state level. But you are moving to a county and a neighborhood, not to a statewide average.
Tennessee's most conservative regions
Williamson County
Franklin, Brentwood, Nolensville. Top-rated schools, strong Republican margins, the state's most expensive market.
Rutherford & Wilson
Murfreesboro, Lebanon, Mount Juliet. Fast growth with more accessible pricing than Williamson.
Sumner County
Hendersonville, Gallatin. Lake access, commutable to Nashville, consistently Republican.
East Tennessee
Knoxville suburbs, Maryville, the Tri-Cities. Deep red, lower cost of entry, mountains close by.
Chattanooga suburbs
Hamilton County's outlying towns, Cleveland, Ooltewah. Outdoor access and a growing job base.
The Cumberland Plateau
Crossville, Cookeville, Sparta. Among the most affordable and most conservative parts of the state.
Tennessee's political makeup, answered
Does Tennessee register voters by party?
No. Tennessee does not have partisan voter registration and uses open primaries, meaning any registered voter can choose either party's ballot. That is why Tennessee's partisan lean is measured by election results rather than registration totals.
Has Tennessee always been a red state?
No. Tennessee was competitive for much of the twentieth century and elected Democratic governors and senators well into the 1990s. Al Gore represented Tennessee in the Senate, though he lost the state in the 2000 presidential race. The state has voted Republican for president in every cycle since.
Is Tennessee more conservative than Texas or Florida?
By recent presidential margin, yes. Trump carried Tennessee by 29.7 points in 2024, compared with roughly 13 points in Florida and a smaller margin in Texas. Tennessee's legislative supermajorities are also larger.
Does Tennessee have a state income tax?
Tennessee has no tax on wage income. The Hall income tax, which applied to certain interest and dividend income, was fully phased out in 2021. This is a common reason people relocate from higher-tax states.
Which Tennessee counties are the most conservative?
Rural counties across the Cumberland Plateau, West Tennessee outside Memphis, and upper East Tennessee post some of the widest Republican margins. Among larger suburban counties, Williamson, Wilson, and Sumner combine strong Republican margins with substantial housing inventory.
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