† Citizen voting-age population estimated for prior cycles; 2004 predates the ACS and is extrapolated. Source: ACS 5-year, table B05003.
——
D+60R+60
20042024
Boundary by 2024 margin · Precinct returns · VEST · MIT Election Lab
People and households
Who lives here
Exact values for this place, its state, and the United States.
Race · ethnicity · ancestry
Communities and origins
GroupAthensTennesseeUnited States
Irish13.7%9.3%9.4%
English12.0%13.3%9.5%
German11.7%9.1%12.5%
American10.8%11.3%5.3%
Italian1.9%2.2%4.8%
Scottish1.6%2.2%1.3%
French1.4%1.3%1.6%
Scotch-Irish1.2%1.7%—
Mexican4.9%3.8%11.3%
Puerto Rican0.7%0.6%1.8%
Dominican0.5%—0.7%
Honduran0.5%0.5%0.3%
Colombian0.3%—0.4%
Spaniard0.3%——
African American†5.8%14.3%9.9%
African0.8%0.6%0.5%
Hispanic or Latino counts residents of any race; the race groups count only their non-Hispanic residents, so the groups are mutually exclusive and sum to 100%. Expand a row to see ancestries reported within that group.
Age and life stage
Measure
Athens
Tennessee
United States
Median age
39
39.3
39.1
Age 18–24
11.8%
8.9%
9.2%
Age 65 and older
17.9%
17.1%
17.2%
Household economy
Measure
Athens
Tennessee
United States
Median household income
$53,929
$69,595
$84,427
Poverty rate
17.0%
13.8%
12.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher (25+)
23.2%
31.3%
35.6%
Languages at home
Measure
Athens
Tennessee
United States
Speaks a non-English language at home
6.9%
8.7%
22.3%
Spanish
4.4%
5.3%
13.6%
German or other West Germanic
1.2%
0.3%
0.5%
Religious landscape
Measure
Athens
Tennessee
United States
Catholic
—
4.0%
18.6%
Evangelical Protestant
—
36.6%
16.5%
Unclaimed / not counted
—
44.5%
51.5%
American Community Survey 2024 5-year (CVAP, income, age, poverty, education, language, race, ancestry) · presidential returns from MIT Election Lab through 2024 · 2020 U.S. Religion Census (ASARB) — congregational adherents; unclaimed is the residual not counted by congregations.
Athens, Tennessee
presidential history
Presidential margin, 2004–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
Presidential margin over time
Year
Margin (D minus R)
2004
−25.1%
2008
−31.4%
2012
−36.8%
2016
−48.3%
2020
−47.4%
2024
−53.7%
DemocraticRepublican
6 presidential elections
Third column names the leading third-party or independent finisher. Source · MIT Election Lab · ICPSR · VEST (precinct-level 2024). Swing · margin change from the prior cycle. vs U.S. · margin relative to the national result that year. Third-party votes in 2012 are allocated from certified county totals by this place's share of each county's two-party vote — that cycle's precinct source records two-party splits. † 2004 sub-county results are estimated: the source's block-level detail for this cycle was unreliable — either county/municipality-level consolidated reporting (COVID-era) or a precinct-to-block allocation that misplaced votes — so the figures are allocated from the constituent county totals in proportion to the place and scaled to certified totals.
Year
Won
Democratic
Republican
Other
Margin
Swing
vs U.S.
Total
R
22.7%Harris1,323
76.4%Trump4,456
0.9%
R+53.7
R+6.3
R+52.2
5,833
R
25.6%Biden1,449
73.0%Trump4,131
1.3%
R+47.4
D+0.9
R+51.9
5,656
R
24.2%Clinton1,130
72.4%Trump3,388
3.4%
R+48.3
R+11.5
R+50.4
4,677
R
30.9%Obama1,431
67.7%Romney3,136
1.4%
R+36.8
R+5.4
R+40.6
4,634
R
33.4%Obama1,677
64.8%McCain3,252
1.8%
R+31.4
R+6.3
R+38.6
5,021
R
37.1%Kerry1,793
62.1%Bush3,006
0.8%
R+25.1
—
R+22.6
4,839
Athens anchors a small industrial corridor in East Tennessee, where a workforce tied to automotive and chemical manufacturing has historically delivered lopsided margins in federal contests, rarely falling below 70% for the Republican ticket.
Across the recorded series it reached a Republican high of 53.7 points in 2024. Between 2020 and 2024 the city moved 6.3 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 53.7 points.
A population of 14,471, a 80% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $53,929 describe the city. The city's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Lebanon and Lexington.
Akashic
Political twins — cities
The cities whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.
In 2024, Athens, Tennessee voted Republican by 53.7 points (R+53.7), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 5,833 votes cast, 1,323 went Democratic and 4,456 went Republican.
How many people live in Athens, Tennessee?
Athens, Tennessee has a population of 14,471 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Athens, Tennessee?
Median household income in Athens, Tennessee is $53,929 — below the national median of $80,734. The Tennessee state median is $69,595.
What is the political history of Athens, Tennessee?
Akashic tracks 6 presidential elections in Athens, Tennessee from 2004 to 2024. Of those, 0 went Democratic and 6 went Republican.
