Vanderbilt poll shows Nashville mood shifts after Winter Storm Fern, with concerns over growth and affordability

Survey finds residents more likely to say city is headed in the wrong direction

A new Vanderbilt University poll released Thursday, March 26, 2026, indicates a measurable downturn in Nashville residents’ outlook following Winter Storm Fern, an ice storm that triggered widespread disruptions and prolonged power outages across the region earlier this year.

In the poll, 56% of respondents said Nashville is “on the wrong track,” while 44% said the city is headed in the right direction. The survey was conducted Feb. 20 through March 14 among 1,048 Nashville residents, with a margin of error of +/- 4.05 percentage points. The timing overlapped with the city’s recovery period: 76% of respondents reported being affected by the storm.

Winter Storm Fern’s local footprint: outages, duration, and system stress

During the storm’s peak, Nashville Electric Service reported roughly 230,000 customers without power, describing it as among the largest outage events in the utility’s history. Regional and national tracking of outages during the same period showed Tennessee among the hardest-hit states, with Nashville accounting for a significant portion of the state’s outage totals. Restoration stretched into early February for some neighborhoods, amid freezing temperatures and continuing hazards from ice-laden trees and downed lines.

In early February, the Nashville Electric Service board approved an independent review of the utility’s performance during the January storm, a step that formalized public scrutiny of preparedness, communications, and restoration operations.

Officials’ approval ratings: mayor down, council slips below waterline

The Vanderbilt poll recorded a 54% approval rating for Mayor Freddie O’Connell, representing a 13-point decline compared with the prior year’s results. The poll also found that the Metro Council posted a negative approval rating in the survey for the first time: disapproval stood at 50%, compared with 48% approval.

The mayor’s approval fell most sharply among Republican respondents, reflecting a polarized political environment that has included intense criticism of city leadership on multiple policy fronts over the past year.

Underlying pressures remain central: affordability, traffic, and growth

While the storm served as a catalyst for dissatisfaction, the poll’s findings also point to longer-running anxieties. Respondents cited affordability, traffic, and rapid population growth among top concerns—issues that often surface in debates about infrastructure capacity, service reliability, and the city’s ability to manage expansion.

What the numbers can—and cannot—show

Polling captures a snapshot of sentiment, not a direct measure of operational performance.

The results outline a shift in civic mood during a recovery period marked by visible service disruptions and broader quality-of-life concerns. With an independent review of the utility’s storm response underway and debate continuing over resilience investments, the poll suggests that confidence in local institutions may hinge on both near-term accountability and long-term planning for growth and extreme-weather risks.

• Direction of the city: 56% wrong track, 44% right direction
• Survey field dates: Feb. 20–March 14, 2026
• Sample size: 1,048 Nashville residents; margin of error +/- 4.05 points
• Storm impact reported by respondents: 76% affected