Tennessee 81st State House District, Tennessee: Realigner district. In 2024, voted R+45%. Democratic peak: D+95 in 1936.
Key facts
- 2024 presidential margin
- R+45MIT Election Lab
- Political archetype
- RealignerAkashic typology
- Population
- 73,9912024 5-year
- Median household income
- $70,1332024 5-year
- White (non-Hispanic)
- 69.4%2024 5-year
- Black
- 23.4%2024 5-year
- Hispanic / Latino
- 3.4%2024 5-year
- Peak Democratic margin
- D+95 in 1936MIT Election Lab
- Peak Republican margin
- R+45 in 2024MIT Election Lab
Constituent county margins for State House District 81, TNOne cell per constituent county, colored by 2024 presidential margin from deep red (Republican) through neutral to deep blue (Democratic), ordered bluest first.
R+60D+60
One cell per constituent county. Ordered by 2024 D-vs-R margin (bluest first). Hover for county-level numbers.
38 presidential elections
| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 8,540 | 22,634 | 31,464 | ||
| R | 9,699 | 22,442 | 32,602 | ||
| R | 8,433 | 19,049 | 28,346 | ||
| R | 10,393 | 18,773 | 29,470 | ||
| R | 11,422 | 19,412 | 31,099 | ||
| R | 10,489 | 16,410 | 27,054 | ||
| R | 9,073 | 11,887 | 21,168 | ||
| R | 9,139 | 9,217 | 19,348 | ||
| R | 8,157 | 8,551 | 18,263 | ||
| R | 5,910 | 7,968 | 13,941 | ||
| R | 6,257 | 7,969 | 14,273 | ||
| D | 7,393 | 6,076 | 13,641 | ||
| D | 8,294 | 4,722 | 13,111 | ||
| R | 3,257 | 7,770 | 11,498 | ||
| O | 3,291 | 2,244 | 12,445 | ||
| D | 5,455 | 4,791 | 10,246 | ||
| D | 5,184 | 2,677 | 8,295 | ||
| D | 6,409 | 1,351 | 8,204 | ||
| D | 7,085 | 1,983 | 9,127 | ||
| D | 3,814 | 315 | 6,199 | ||
| D | 5,848 | 458 | 6,311 | ||
| D | 8,288 | 379 | 8,680 | ||
| D | 5,912 | 137 | 6,050 | ||
| D | 4,168 | 209 | 4,412 | ||
| D | 3,334 | 552 | 3,901 | ||
| D | 3,254 | 261 | 3,567 | ||
| D | 4,292 | 977 | 5,328 | ||
| D | 3,232 | 324 | 3,629 | ||
| D | 1,750 | 588 | 2,655 | ||
| D | 2,529 | 1,175 | 3,746 | ||
| D | 2,839 | 1,025 | 3,944 | ||
| D | 2,923 | 1,460 | 4,429 | ||
| D | 3,827 | 2,338 | 6,316 | ||
| D | 3,395 | 1,163 | 5,354 | ||
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Demographics
Race, ethnicity, and ancestry
Click any group to see the ancestries typically reported within it.
American
12.8%
English
9.4%
Irish
9.2%
German
8.4%
Italian
1.8%
French
1.2%
Scottish
1.1%
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release. Hispanic/Latino is an ethnicity that overlaps the race categories, so these shares can total more than 100%. Ancestry is a self-reported, multiple-response item; ancestry percentages do not sum to the parent race percentage.
Age distribution by sex
Median age: 39.7 in this county, 39.1 nationally
Male
Age
Female
85+
75–84
65–74
55–64
45–54
35–44
25–34
18–24
5–17
<5
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.
Median household income
2024 inflation-adjusted dollars
$70,133
State House District 81 ranks near the middle of US counties.
State House District 81$70,133
Tennessee$69,595
United States$80,734
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.
Poverty rate
All persons below federal poverty line
14.9%
Children face moderate poverty.
Children under 1821.9%
Working age (18–64)13.1%
Seniors (65+)8.8%
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.
Language at home
Population aged 5 and older
97.1%
speak English only
Spanish2.0%
Other Indo-European0.6%
Asian & Pacific Islander0.3%
Source · ACS 5-year estimates, 2024.
Religious adherents
Adherents per capita by tradition
Source · 2020 US Religion Census. Remaining 43.9% of residents not counted as adherents by any reporting body.
With a 2024 presidential margin exceeding 61 points, District 81 ranks among the state's most one-sided legislative constituencies, reflecting the deep rural Republican alignment common across this part of Tennessee.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Tennessee 81st State House District peaked at ninety-five points in 1936; it narrowed steadily over the late twentieth century. The 1984 election delivered the district to the Republican party for the first time in many years, by a margin of twelve points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. The median household income of $70,133 is among the lowest at this geographic scale; 15% of residents live below the federal poverty line.
Compare two places, side by side
Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →
Cite this page
All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.
State House District 81, Tennessee. Akashic. https://akashic.app/sld-lower/47081/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
License: CC BY 4.0
Frequently asked questions
How did State House District 81, Tennessee vote in 2024?
In 2024, State House District 81, Tennessee voted Republican by 44.8 points (R+45), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 31,464 votes cast, 8,540 went Democratic and 22,634 went Republican.
What is State House District 81, Tennessee's political archetype?
Akashic classifies State House District 81, Tennessee as a "Realigner" district based on its long-arc presidential voting pattern. Across 38 elections in the dataset, the district has voted Democratic 21 times, Republican 12 times, and other 1 times.
When did State House District 81, Tennessee last vote Democratic?
The most recent presidential election in which State House District 81, Tennessee voted Democratic was 1980.
How many people live in State House District 81, Tennessee?
State House District 81, Tennessee has a population of 73,991 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in State House District 81, Tennessee?
Median household income in State House District 81, Tennessee is $70,133 — below the national median of $80,734. The Tennessee state median is $69,595.
What is the political history of State House District 81, Tennessee?
Akashic tracks 38 presidential elections in State House District 81, Tennessee from 1876 to 2024. Of those, 21 went Democratic and 12 went Republican. The district's archetype — "Realigner" — captures the overall trajectory of that voting record.