These are the places in Tennessee with the most drug-addicted, violent, welfare receiving populations.

This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. Don’t freak out.

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Do you know anyone whom you’d refer to as Trashy? Most likely. Either there’s someone at your job, in your neighborhood, or in your family that you’d throw that label on.

Essentially, Trashy is everywhere.

While calling someone Trashy might be a mean-spirited way of ridiculing or poking fun at a particular demographic, it can also serve as a way to express disdain about the way someone lives their life. It isn’t as derogatory as using other racial slurs, and in fact, the term has a bit of humor associated with it, making it the focus of pop culture.

Take for instance Jerry Springer, Honey Boo Boo, Kid Rock, Eminem, Uncle Rico from Napoleon Dynamite and even Cousin Eddie in National Lampoon movies.

According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, trashy is defined as:

“A term used broadly to define a person or group of persons whom embody the concepts of ignorance, racism, violence, alcoholism, poverty, and anglo-saxon ancestry. Similarly used with the term ‘cracker,’ ‘hillbilly’ or ‘redneck’.”

So, using some data crunching, we should be able to measure where the most Trashy communities in the state of Tennessee are actually located.

After pouring over data, watching too many fist fights and perusing illiterate Facebook comments, we’ve determined these are the most Trashy cities in Tennessee:

Time to take some meth and stay up all night with us as we go through the cities one by one. And before you say we’re some kind of reverse racist, you can also check out the most Ghetto city in Tennessee.

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How we determined the most trashy cities in Tennessee?

Using publicly available government data, as well as Google Maps, we were able to collect the data on the following trashy metrics:

Cities where there are lots of white people

Cities where residents are poorer than average

Cities where a high number of residents are high school dropouts

High drug use

Higher than average Payday Loan Outlets

Violent cities (measured in aggravated assaults)

Cities with a high number of residents on welfare

We used the government Census for most of the data. For drug use and violence, we used FBI data, and for Cash Advance Outlets, we used Google Maps.

Simple, right?

We limited the analysis to non-CDPs that have over 5,000 people.

Then, we ranked each place from 1 to 84 for each of the trashy criteria.

Next, then averaged all the ranks to create a “trashy index”.

In the end, Johnson City ended up being the the most trashy city in the Volunteer State.


1. Johnson City

Source: Public domain

Population: 66,196

Estimated Trashy: 15,367

Estimated Meth Heads: 4,513

Welfare population: 20%

Dollar Stores: 16

Toss back a Budweiser, suck down another Camel, Johnson City (aka Johnson Shitty), cause you’re the whitest trash of all in Tennessee.

The 423 ranks in the top 10% for several categories, including the number of residents on welfare, the most amount of high school dropouts, as well as a high methadone clinics per capita.

The meth problem is so bad here that they have created a ‘Meth Watch’. The people on meth watch the people on meth because they have nothing better to do with their day.

Don’t laugh, Knoxville. You weren’t too far out of the top 10 yourself.

2. Crossville

Population: 11,436

Estimated Trashy: 2,999

Estimated meth heads: 965

Welfare population: 22%

This city in Cumberland County is located on the corner of Main and Miller next to all the pillbillies and zombies. And according to online forums, Crossville (AKA Pill-ville) is filled with slums, a large number of thieves, and a bunch of disgruntled meth head Titans fans. Hey don’t shoot the messenger!

The C-town Hustlers rank in the top 5 for three separate trashy metrics, including a number of aggravated assaults, and for poor, white single mothers on welfare.

Here they have their own set of trashy problems. According to online forums, they truly do whatever they want in this town. If you live here, there’s a good chance you’re makin’ meth. Meth-related arrests are on the rise in the 931. Huffin’ ain’t easy people.

#NothinGetsDoneInThe931

3. Newport

Population: 6,949

Estimated Trashy: 1,283

Estimated meth heads: 546

High school dropouts: 17%

Newport is located just off the 40, East of Knoxville, where Bojangles and the Pigeon River meet.

According to online forums, the 320 has a major drug problem. Even the river rats are doing heroin, here. Trashy river rats? That should be a reality show for sure!

You know you’re from Cocke County if you’re hangin’ at Victory Lanes with your hick click.

Sounds like “Home On The Range.”

Everybody sing with us: “Oh Give Me a Home. Where The Meth Heads Roam. Where The Hicks And The Pillbillies Play!”

4. Savannah

Population: 7,415

Estimated Trashy: 2,979

Estimated meth heads: 913

Payday Loan Outlets: 2

Assaults ranking: 5th in TN

Chances are, if you and your kid(s) moved in with someone after just two dates, than you might be from Savannah.

This city, located along the Tennessee River, ranks fifth in the state for aggravated assaults (meaning drunken fist fights). And in pure trashy form, when it comes to fightin’ over that week’s favorite meth slut, you better believe it will be handled bare knuckle to bare knuckle in your trailer’s front yard. Just please, please, watch out for the boat on cinder blocks, and the crapper, and the broken down mower.

And if you ever get your mower fixed, make sure you head on down to the Starlight, the Pit, and the Riverside Lounge on your next Trashy bar crawl. They have great specials on Busch Light. Just make sure you get to Harrison St. before 5 AM, we hear the lines, there, can get pretty scary.

#NothinGetsDoneInThe731

5. Cookeville

Population: 30,737

Estimated Trashy: 7,345

Estimated meth heads: 1,345

Drug use: 15th in TN

Cookeville (AKA COOK-ville) is located East of Nashville off the 40. This city in Putnam County comes in 5th on our list. This number, however, doesn’t reflect the high number of mullets (is it a mullet, a perm, or merm, C-town?), shag haircuts, bangs teased out like it’s 1990, and the number of people who wear pajamas to one of the 12 Dollar Stores in town.

Here, if the trashy don’t have ‘Mountain Dew’ Mouth (AKA meth mouth) they’re not doing it right. The townies, here, are driving their mobile meth labs with more tattoos than teeth. If the P-County peeps weren’t spending so much on meth, the dentists in this place would be making a fortune.

In the 931, they ARE down with O.P.P. – other people’s pills. Cook-ville is 15th in the state for drug use and they have the largest number of methadone clinics per capita.

#BestPlaceToGetYourFixInTheSticks

6. Livingston

Population: 5,737

Estimated Trashy: 1,345

Estimated meth heads: 1,345

Drug use: 15th in TN

Located between Nashville and Knoxville on the corner of Shanky’s and Dale Hollow’s is Livingston, Tennessee.

This cowtown is definitely one of the “whitest cities” on our list. The number of drug-related crimes and aggravated assaults, combined with the high number of poor dropouts, makes this trashy central for Overton County.

Is that Ricky Bobby’s kid? Fair question, L-town. They have the most black and white checkered flags with two tracks close by. But, don’t get your boxers in a bunch, we know the three things you don’t mess with in trashy land: racin’, drinkin’, and makin’ meth. And if you live in the 931, there’s a good chance you ain’t racin’, you’re makin’ meth.

Hey O-County, stay classy and keep it trashyy. Otherwise we won’t have anything to write about.

7. McMinnville



Population: 13,517

Estimated Trashy: 5,675

Estimated meth heads: 1,312

Dollar Stores 7

Located southeast of Nashville is McMinnville, Tennessee (AKA Methminnville or McMeth-ville). Here, a large number of people either work as aerosol and sudafed mixologists, or work at one of the seven Dollar Stores in the area. But, just because you shop at the local dollar stores does not make you ‘country chic,’ M-town, it makes you trashy.

And a lot of your trash must be getting into fist fights at McMinnville Lanes over whether the mall’s name is Three Star or Three Store, because you are 3rd for aggravated assaults.

That’s right, in Warren County, they fight over the lawn mower; they fight over what beer is better (Busch or Natural Light); they fight over who has more teeth; and of course, they fight over where the best meth is made. They just have a real chip on their shoulders.

Simmer down, M-town. #NoShoesNoShirtNoTeethNoProblem

8. Lenoir City

Population: 8,691

Estimated Trashy: 2,225

Estimated meth heads: 934

Assaults: 7th for small cities in TN

Nothin’ says trashy like a good ‘ol ass whoopin at a Walmart. You just might see that in Lenoir City on the first of the month.

In fact, the 865 was home to the infamous trashy Walmart fight between the woman in the jammies and the other woman in the jammies. Maybe they should fight at one of their three dollar stores so they won’t feel like they have to dress up.

In L-town, the two major pastimes are smoking meth and driving the “loop.” And when they say they have their G.E.D., here, it means they “got every drug”. They have more pill mills than fast food restaurants. Who needs to eat when you’re poppin’ pills. Smoke the weed, townies. Get the munchies.

#SaveTacoBell

9. Kingsport

Source: Wikipedia

Population: 49,699

Estimated Trashy: 15,265

Estimated meth heads: 3,964

Dollar Stores 14

Kingsport ranks in the top 5 for three separate trashy metrics, including number of aggravated assaults, number of dollar stores, and number of methadone clinics.

When it comes to defining proper trashy etiquette in this town, always remember the cardinal rule: You need to be careful what you say in Hawkins County because someone might come over and pop the wheels on your house. Or was it, you mess with me, you mess with the whole trailer park? So confusing. That’s what happens when you try livin’ the Kingsport Way: 24 Busch Lights in a case, 24 hours in a day. Genius.

And if you’re a Sullivan-County dead-beat dad named Rick who snorts Tylenol (because he can’t afford adderall), and you moved to the big city of Bloomfield with your sister’s best friend (because they have cheaper meth), you might be from Kingsport.

10. Morristown

b>Population: 29,904

Estimated Trashy: 7,204

Estimated Meth Heads: 2,997

Welfare population: 17%

Rounding out the list of the ten most trashy cities in Tennessee brings us to Kingsport. This is where the high class trashy live. You think you’re ‘all that’ with your ten Dollar Stores, West End Bowling, and 4 Walmarts to wear your pajamas, swimsuits, and wife beaters to.

Obviously, M-Town, is home to the high class trashy. It‘s a lifestyle, here. It’s not everyday you become the home of the ‘Meth-Sandwich’ and Black Tar Heroin. So fancy.

With all the meth smoke, cig smoke, heroin fumes, and pill mill pollution, Hamlin County might single-handedly be responsible for global warming.

Is that heroin, meth, or weed in the 423? Fair question M-town. Hamlin County could use a hug.

There You Have It

According to the official dictionary definition of Trashy, and based on stereotypes that the internet says are true, using science to determine the most Trashy cities in a state can’t be too far off.

If you’re analyzing cities in Tennessee with lots of angry welfare recipients, single mothers and where people have lots of options for payday cash loans, this is an accurate list.

If you’re curious enough, here are the least trashy places in Tennessee:

Collierville Brentwood Oakland

For more Tennessee reading , check out:

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