Wednesday the Beacon Center unveiled its inaugural City Freedom Index, which ranks the 30 most populous cities in Tennessee with an overall freedom ranking.
The report, which is being released in conjunction with the Independence Day holiday, ranks cities on 25 metrics spanning four categories. The four categories are free enterprise, private property rights, individual liberty and cost of government.
The city of La Vergne topped the first-ever freedom index, while fellow Middle Tennessee cities Brentwood and Hendersonville ranked second and third respectively.
Nashville came in dead last at number 30. Morristown, ranked fourth, was the highest-ranking city in East Tennessee, while Chattanooga finished 23rd and Knoxville 28th.
There was not much to brag about in West Tennessee, as Jackson ranked highest at number 14. Meanwhile, the West Tennessee cities of Memphis, Germantown, Bartlett and Collierville all finished in the bottom six.
Officials said, "After nearly a year of research, we are beyond excited to release our first-ever City Freedom Index. Thomas Jefferson once said, 'a well-informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.'
"We believe that by shining a light on the various policies of Tennessee’s cities, citizens and policymakers will finally have the knowledge needed to vote with their feet, or better yet, enact real change and make their city more prosperous and free."
You can read the full report
here. There is also a description of each city's ranking when you click on its name.