Vanderbilt Poll: Mayor O’Connell keeps earning high marks; Nashvillians align on issues, but not always on solutions

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• Mayor O'Connell's approval remains high at 67 percent
• Majority (58 percent) of Nashvillians feel the city is on the right track 
• Top priorities for city officials include education, cost of housing, income disparity and crime
• Republicans and Democrats remain divided on investing in affordable housing, bringing new businesses into Nashville and city-state relations 

Eighteen months since taking office, Mayor Freddie O'Connell continues to enjoy broad public approval. The 2025 Vanderbilt Poll-Nashville found his favorability among Nashville residents at 67 percent-a very high level of approval for any elected politician that underscores the success of his first year and a half in office. Approval differs across party lines, with 44 percent of Republicans approving versus 83 percent of Democrats, but this 39-point gap is far smaller than the 80-point partisan gap in President Donald Trump's national approval rating.

O'Connell's positive assessment aligns with the emerging consensus that Nashville is headed in a better direction than it was a few years ago.

"This is good news for the mayor and the city, especially today when you see such staggering polarization between Democrats and Republicans nationally. These numbers mean his leadership is working for both sides of the aisle," said John Geer, co-director of the Vanderbilt Poll, senior advisor to Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, professor of political science and holder of a Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Chair. "While Democrats are more supportive of Mayor O'Connell, the gap is much smaller than what we see nationally. Here in Nashville, people increasingly feel that the city is on the right track. That goes hand in hand with O'Connell's high approval ratings. It's a great story for the city."

The 2025 Vanderbilt Poll-Nashville was fielded from Feb. 21 through March 16 and included 1,008 respondents from Metropolitan Nashville across all political affiliations. While no singular issue emerged as especially striking or divisive, it is perhaps most notable that concerns about affordability for their neighbors remained a priority for all respondents, regardless of income level.

Nashville stays on the right track

In 2022 and 2023, more than half of Nashvillians felt the city was headed in the wrong direction. Concerns about growth, public education and the increasing tension between the Metro government and the state government weighed heavily on people's outlook about the future. While some of those concerns remain, residents are more optimistic about how they are being addressed with O'Connell at the helm.

The 2024 Vanderbilt Poll-Nashville first revealed a shift in sentiment, with 53 percent feeling that Nashville was on the right track. That optimism is expanding; 58 percent of people across all income levels felt positively about the city's direction in the 2025 poll. Positivity is weakest among Republicans, with less than half (48 percent) sharing the "right track" opinion. That number is still encouraging, since it speaks to a less-polarized view about the city and to a near majority viewing the city on a good path.

"The five-point jump we saw from a year ago when Nashville voters stated that they feel the city is on the right track stands in stark contrast with what the country thinks about America," said Vanderbilt Poll co-director Josh Clinton, who holds the Abby and Jon Winkelried Chair at Vanderbilt and is a professor of political science. "In this era of discontent and polarization, it's encouraging to see a different story playing out here in Nashville."

Standing up to the state

As the Tennessee state legislature introduces more policies that clash with those of Nashville, the question of whether to work with the state or push back is still in debate. In 2024, 53 percent of polled Nashvillians felt that elected officials should work with the state. When that question was posed in 2025, the numbers flipped. Now, a majority (54 percent) believes that Nashville's elected officials should challenge the state legislature's and governor's actions. 

"We found that Nashville residents, regardless of partisan stripe, are more willing to go to battle with the state legislature," Clinton said. "A majority of Republicans (76 percent) and independents (49 percent) continue to think Nashville should focus on working with the state rather than challenging the state, but all partisan groups express slightly more support for challenging the state on issues involving Nashville."

Generally, Nashvillians pointed to O'Connell as the government official who best represents their views. Only 12 percent feel that the state legislature represents their views, and 17 percent (a four-point decline) say Gov. Bill Lee does. Broken down by political leanings, Republicans feel better represented by Lee than by any other government entity, with only 23 percent feeling the state legislature best represents their views. 

Economic concerns

Since the passage of O'Connell's transit referendum, transportation has declined as a priority for Nashvillians. Public education and helping the less well-off are now top priorities. 

There are also varying concerns about the economy in the city. Eighty-one percent of people who make more than $100,000 feel the economy is very good or fairly good, but lower-income respondents hold a far less optimistic view. More than half of those in the $15,000-$29,999 bracket feel the economy is fairly bad or very bad.

Regardless of income, there is broad concern about the challenges faced by people with low incomes. Sixty-nine percent of Nashvillians feel these issues should be the top priority items for O'Connell.

"The public is increasingly worried about making sure that we, as a community, are taking care of the less fortunate. That concern comes in the form of pushing for more affordable housing. There seems to be genuine concern for our neighbors," Geer said. 

When asked about city investments, 84 percent of Nashville adults across all political parties prioritized creating a greater number of high-paying jobs when investing in new neighborhoods. However, opinions are split regarding where those jobs should come from. Seventy-three percent of Republicans felt bringing new businesses to town should be a top priority as opposed to 53 percent of Democrats. In contrast, 96 percent of Democrats polled were in favor of investing in more affordable housing-a 25-point difference from Republicans at 71 percent. It is notable that these differences are far less stark than what is seen on a national level for most issues. 

Rent affordability is the third-highest priority among residents. According to the 2025 poll, 89 percent of those who rent, live with a parent or have some other living arrangement said they cannot afford to buy a house in Davidson County. The same percentage of respondents expressed the opinion that building more affordable housing should be a top priority when investing in new neighborhoods.

However, when it comes to multifamily residences as a solution, opinions differ across political affiliation about where they should be built. Fifty-six percent of Nashville residents (63 percent of Democrats and 36 percent of Republicans) believe multifamily units should be allowed everywhere, while 44 percent (37 of Democrats and 64 percent of Republicans) believe they should only be permitted in densely populated areas to "preserve the city's character."

While people are very aware of housing and rental prices and affordability challenges in the city, they know less about other development issues, such as the debate around the Nashville Fairgrounds. When asked about which revitalization option they preferred, 42 percent said they hadn't heard enough about the issue to have an opinion. This indicates ample opportunity for leaders on all sides of the issue to educate the public. 

Kitchen-table issues

Education: Public education is consistently a priority in Vanderbilt's Nashville polls, and 2025 was no different. O'Connell has identified improving public education as a top priority for the months ahead. 

Since 2017, most Nashvillians have given public preschools, kindergartens and elementary schools a C grade (average). However, those issuing A (excellent) and B (good) grades are slowly rising. In 2023, 7 percent of residents gave their district's lower schools an A grade, while in 2025 that number rose to 12 percent. Twenty percent issued a B rating in 2023, with that rising to 28 percent in 2025.   

When polled about the state legislature's use of school vouchers in Tennessee, opinions in Nashville vary. Twenty percent strongly support vouchers, and 36 percent strongly oppose, while the remaining 44 percent fall somewhere in the middle.

When it comes to the approval of Metro Nashville Public Schools Director Adrienne Battle, who has been in her position for six years, 60 percent of residents approve of the job she has done. That number is especially high among those with children in public schools (75 percent) and even among those with children in private schools (69 percent). Those who do not have children in K-12 schools gave Battle the lowest favorability rating, though still high at 57 percent. 

Safety: Concerns around crime and safety have risen. Sixty-four percent of Nashvillians believe reducing crime should be a priority area for O'Connell (fourth-highest priority). Seventy-six percent of Nashville adults feel extremely or somewhat safe living in Nashville, while 24 percent feel somewhat or extremely unsafe. For the past five years, more than 60 percent of respondents have consistently said there is an area within a mile of where they live that they would be afraid to walk alone at night.

Immigration: Nashville has a sizable immigrant population, so its residents havehad to consider their stance on the federal government's initiative to deport undocumented immigrants. Sixty-two percent of Democrats believe Nashville should actively resist efforts by the federal government to deport these immigrants, while 61 percent of Republicans believe the city should actively assist the federal government. 

In terms of individual cases of deportation, 61 percent support deportation if the immigrant has a criminal record (87 percent of Republicans and 46 percent of Democrats). Conversely, only 26 percent support deportation if there is no criminal record (70 percent of Republicans and 9 percent of Democrats). 

A positive outlook

This year's Vanderbilt Poll-Nashville offers a positive outlook for Nashville. O'Connell's strong approval ratings and the general sense that the city is on the right track are encouraging indicators. The poll also underscores key priorities that remain top of mind for residents. Improving public education is a leading concern, with increasing approval for the quality of lower-level schools. Addressing the significant challenges faced by low-income individuals is another crucial issue, with 69 percent of Nashvillians emphasizing its importance. Lastly, the pressing need for affordable rent and housing solutions is evident, and residents strongly support the construction of more affordable housing options. These findings suggest that while Nashville is generally seen as thriving, focusing on these key priorities will be essential for continued progress and well-being across the community.

"Overall, Nashville's doing pretty well. Residents are reacting favorably to what's going on in the city. That should be taken as some good news," Geer said. "Yes, it's great news for our mayor, but I think it's even better news for all of us who live in Nashville."