Vanderbilt University Poll: Education, safety, immigration remain top priorities for Nashvillians
According to the 2025 Vanderbilt Poll-Nashville, public education once again remained a top concern for respondents. The topic has been high on the list for those taking the poll since 2017, according to poll officials.
Since 2017, most Nashvillians have given public preschools, kindergartens and elementary schools a C grade. However, those issuing A (excellent) and B (good) grades are slowly rising, per poll officials. In 2023, 7% of residents gave their district's lower schools an A grade, while in 2025 that number rose to 12%. In 2023, 20% issued a B rating; in 2025, the number rose to 28%, according to the poll.
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When polled about the state legislature's use of school vouchers in Tennessee, opinions in Nashville vary:
20% strongly support vouchers, while 36% strongly oppose. The remaining 44% fall somewhere in the middle, the poll revealed.
When it comes to the approval of Metro Nashville Public Schools Director Dr. Adrienne Battle, 60% of residents approve of the job she has done. This number is especially high among those with children in public schools (75%) and even among those with children in private schools (69%). Those who do not have children in K-12 schools gave Battle the lowest favorability rating at 57%, which is still high, according to Vanderbilt.
Concerns around crime and safety have risen, according to poll officials. The poll revealed that 64% of Nashvillians believe reducing crime should be a priority area for Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell. It was also the fourth-highest priority item, per the poll.
Further, 76% of Nashvillians feel extremely or somewhat safe living in Nashville, while 24% feel somewhat or extremely unsafe. For the last five years, more than 60% of respondents have consistently said there is an area within one mile of where they live that they would be afraid to walk alone at night.
As a city with a sizable immigrant population, residents have had to consider their stance on the federal government's initiative to deport undocumented immigrants, Vandy poll officials said in a release.
Sixty-two percent of Democrats believe Nashville should actively resist efforts by the federal government to deport these immigrants, while 61% of Republicans believe the city should actively assist in the efforts.
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In terms of individual cases of deportation, 61% support deportation if the immigrant has a criminal history, with the split at 87% for Republicans and 46% for Democrats. Conversely, only 26% support deportation if there is no criminal record, split at 70% support for Republicans and just 9% for Democrats.
'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,' Vanderbilt Poll Co-Director John 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.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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