Johnson County is a Republican stronghold. About 17% of voters here vote Democratic and 83% Republican.
About 59% of adults in Johnson County typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Johnson County, ~10% vote Democratic, ~49% Republican, and ~41% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Johnson County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Johnson County leans more Republican than 16 of 18 neighbors.
Johnson County runs about 37 points more Republican than Tennessee as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Johnson County. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+73) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+57), a spread of about 15 points.
Why Johnson County leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per county to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Johnson County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 9% of residents in Johnson County live in densely developed areas, about 13 points below the Tennessee average of 21%. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Johnson County sits in the bottom quarter (about 17%, below 76% of counties).
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; Johnson County, TN sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in Johnson County looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Johnson County is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 82% of adults in Johnson County have completed high school, below 90% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Watauga County, NC D+6
- Washington County, VA R+52
- Ashe County, NC R+47
- Bristol City, VA R+32
- Carter County, TN R+61
- Avery County, NC R+52
- Smyth County, VA R+57
- Sullivan County, TN R+50
- Washington County, TN R+37
- Russell County, VA R+68
Counties with Similar Populations
- Kalkaska County, MI R+42
- Grant County, AR R+71
- Bertie County, NC D+19
- Unicoi County, TN R+57
- Madison County, FL R+18
- Benzie County, MI R+10
- Russell County, KY R+67
- Southampton County, VA R+22
- Schuyler County, NY R+23
- Attala County, MS R+13
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Elections, distributed by the Voting and Election Science Team. Demographic inputs come from the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-year estimates and the 2020 Decennial Census). Health and environmental inputs come from the CDC (PLACES and the Environmental Justice Index). Land cover comes from the USGS and EPA. Election-day and lead-up weather come from PRISM 4km daily grids and the NOAA Global Historical Climatology Network. Mail-voting and election-administration patterns come from the MIT Election Lab's Survey of the Performance of American Elections. Block-group crime detail comes from CrimeGrade. Internet data and modeling support provided by ISPreports.org.
Modeling and analysis by the BestNeighborhood data science team. Full methodology and findings: political spectrum map.
Methodology reviewed by the BestNeighborhood data team. Last updated May 2026.