With 46 Presidents serving since the founding of America (Grover Cleveland counts twice), there are bound to be some popular and not-so-popular choices. While Abraham Lincoln is frequently regarded as the most popular, someone has to be the least popular.
With this in mind, data compiled by YouGov will be used to determine the most to least popular U.S. presidents. YouGov’s data indicates that a President’s popularity, according to their research, is based on the percentage of people who have a positive opinion of a President.
1. Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln is widely considered the best US President. ©Everett Collection/Shutterstock.com Term in office: March 4, 1861 – April 15, 1865Number: 16Popularity: 85%2. George Washington George Washington is America’s most famous President. ©Victorian Traditions/Shutterstock.com Term in office: April 30, 1789 – March 4, 1797Number: 1Popularity: 80%3. John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy was the last President to be assassinated. ©"President John F. Kennedy" by U.S. Embassy New Delhi is licensed under BY-ND 2.0. - Original / License Term in office: January 20, 1961 – November 22, 1963Number: 35Popularity: 74%4. Theodore Roosevelt Teddy Roosevelt greatly expanded America’s naval power. Term in office: September 14, 1901 – March 4, 1909Number: 26Popularity: 73%5. Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson wrote some of America’s most important documents. Term in office: March 4, 1801 – March 4, 1809Number: 3Popularity: 68%6. Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Roosevelt led America through the Great Depression and World War 2. ©National Archives and Records Administration / Public Domain - Original / License Term in office: March 4, 1933 – April 12, 1945Number: 32Popularity: 67%7. Dwight D. Eisenhower Before his Presidency, Eisenhower commanded Allied troops in World War 2. ©"President Eisenhower 1959" by Infrogmation is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License Term in office: January 20, 1953 – January 20, 1961Number: 34Popularity: 64%8. John Adams John Adams was one of America’s most important founding fathers. Term in office: March 4, 1797 – March 4, 1801Number: 2Popularity: 62%9. Jimmy Carter Jimmy Carter created the Department of Education as President. Term in office: January 20, 1977 – January 20, 1981Number: 39Popularity: 61%10. Barack Obama President Obama will be remembered as America’s first African-American president. ©"Barack Obama at his Chicago Home" by jurvetson is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License Term in office: January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017Number: 44Popularity: 59%11. John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams was one of America’s best secretaries of state. Term in office: March 4, 1825 – March 4, 1829Number: 6Popularity: 58%12. Harry S. Truman Truman will forever be remembered for ordering the atomic bombings in Japan. Term in office: April 12, 1945 – January 20, 1953Number: 33Popularity: 57%13. Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant became famous for his many Civil War victories. ©Kovalchuk Oleksandr/Shutterstock.com Term in office: March 4, 1869 – March 4, 1877Number: 18Popularity: 56%14. Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan was well-known for developing Reaganomics. ©"Public Domain: Ronald Reagan at Durenberger Rally by Michael Evans, 1982 (NARA/Reagan Library)" by pingnews.com is licensed under PDM 1.0. - Original / License Term in office: January 20, 1981 – January 20, 1989Number: 40Popularity: 56%15. James Madison Madison will long be remembered as the “Father of the Constitution.” ©"4 James Madison" by US Department of State is licensed under PDM 1.0. - Original / License Term in office: March 4, 1809 – March 4, 1817Number: 4Popularity: 55%16. Andrew Jackson Jackson was a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses of Congress. Term in office: March 4, 1829 – March 4, 1837Number: 7Popularity: 55%17. James Monroe James Monroe was the last Founding Father to be president. Term in office: March 4, 1817 – March 4, 1825Number: 5Popularity: 49%18. Bill Clinton Bill Clinton oversaw big economic growth but was also famously impeached. ©Hayden Schiff / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license - Original / License Term in office: January 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001Number: 42Popularity: 47%19. Herbert Hoover Herbert Hoover helped feed millions of people in the aftermath of World War I. Term in office: March 4, 1929 – March 4, 1933Number: 31Popularity: 47%20. Woodrow Wilson Wilson was a leading member in creating the League of Nations. ©Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library Archives / Flickr Commons - Original / License Term in office: March 4, 1913 – March 4, 1921Number: 28Popularity: 47%21. George W. Bush George Bush oversaw the war in Afghanistan and Iraq in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. Number: 43Term in office: January 20, 2001 – January 20, 2009Popularity: 47%22. Gerald Ford One of Ford’s first acts as president was to pardon Richard Nixon. ©Carl Albert Research and Studies Center, Congressional Collection, CC BY-SA 4.0 - Original / License Term in office: August 9, 1974 – January 20, 1977Number: 38Popularity: 46%23. George H. W. Bush George H.W. Bush freed Kuwait from an Iraqi invasion. Term in office: January 20, 1989 – January 20, 1993Number: 41Popularity: 46%24. Joe Biden Joe Biden served in the US Senate for 36 years before becoming the president. Term in office: January 20, 2021 – Incumbent Number: 46Popularity: 45%25. Lyndon B. Johnson Johnson famously expanded civil rights, health care, public services, and education. Term in office: November 22, 1963 – January 20, 1969Number: 36Popularity: 44%26. Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson granted amnesty to Confederates who pledged loyalty to the U.S. Term in office: April 15, 1865 – March 4, 1869Number: 17Popularity: 43%27. Donald Trump Donald Trump was a TV star and real estate scion before becoming president. ©"Donald J. Trump at Marriott Marquis NYC September 7th 2016" by Michael Vadon is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License Term in office: January 20, 2017 – January 20, 2021Number: 45Popularity: 43%28. William Howard Taft The Taft administration helped build the US postal system. ©"27 William Howard Taft" by US Department of State is licensed under PDM 1.0. - Original / License Term in office: March 4, 1909 – March 4, 1913Number: 27Popularity: 42%29. Rutherford B. Hayes Hayes resolved the Great Railroad Strike, one of America’s deadliest strikebreaking conflicts. Term in office: March 4, 1877 – March 4, 1881Number: 19Popularity: 41%30. William McKinley William McKinley’s presidency gained control of Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. ©"25 William McKinley" by US Department of State is licensed under PDM 1.0. - Original / License Term in office: March 4, 1897 – September 14, 1901Number: 25Popularity: 41%31. Martin Van Buren Van Buren founded the Free Soil Party ticket after losing re-election in 1840. ©"<div class='fn'> Martin Van Buren</div>" by Henry Inman is licensed under CC0 1.0. - Original / License Term in office: March 4, 1837 – March 4, 1841Number: 8Popularity: 41%32. James A. Garfield James Garfield served as a Union general during the Civil War. ©"20 James A. Garfield" by US Department of State is licensed under PDM 1.0. - Original / License Term in office: March 4, 1881 – September 19, 1881Number: 20Popularity: 40%33. James K. Polk Polk expanded the footprint of America with Texas through the Mexican-American war. ©"11 - James K Polk - Jeopardy" by Opus Penguin is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License Term in office: March 4, 1845 – March 4, 1849 Number: 11Popularity: 40%34. William Henry Harrison Harrison served only one month in office before dying of pneumonia. Term in office: March 4, 1841 – April 4, 1841Number: 9Popularity: 39%35. James Buchanan Buchanan is the only president to have been elected from Pennsylvania. ©"15 James Buchanan" by US Department of State is licensed under PDM 1.0. - Original / License Term in office: March 4, 1857 – March 4, 1861Number: 15Popularity: 39%36. John Tyler Tyler was the Governor of Virginia before he was elected president. ©"10 John Tyler" by US Department of State is licensed under PDM 1.0. - Original / License Term in office: April 4, 1841 – March 4, 1845Number: 10Popularity: 39%37. Richard Nixon Nixon was the last president to resign from office due to the Watergate scandal. Term in office: January 20, 1969 – August 9, 1974Number: 37Popularity: 39%38. Grover Cleveland Cleveland won the presidential election by only 1,200 votes in New York. ©"24 Grover Cleveland" by US Department of State is licensed under PDM 1.0. - Original / License Term in office: March 4, 1885 – March 4, 1889; March 4, 1893 – March 4, 1897Number: 22 & 24 (Served two non-consecutive terms) Popularity: 38%39. Calvin Coolidge Coolidge shrank the federal debt by one-quarter during his presidency. ©Everett Collection/Shutterstock.com Term in office: August 2, 1923 – March 4, 1929Number: 30Popularity: 37%40. Benjamin Harrison Harrison is best known for being the only president to be the grandson of another president. ©"23 Benjamin Harrison" by US Department of State is licensed under PDM 1.0. - Original / License Term in office: March 4, 1889 – March 4, 1893Number: 23Popularity: 37%41. Zachary Taylor Taylor was a career officer in the US Army before winning the presidential election. ©Everett Collection/Shutterstock.com Term in office: March 4, 1989 – July 9, 1850Number: 12Popularity: 36%42. Warren G. Harding Harding signed the Budget and Accounting Act, which created the Bureau of the Budget. ©"29 Warren G. Harding" by US Department of State is licensed under PDM 1.0. - Original / License Term in office: March 4, 1921 – August 2, 1923Number: 29Popularity: 35%43. Millard Fillmore Fillmore oversaw the Compromise of 1850, which led to a pause in the expansion of slavery. ©"Colorized portrait of Millard Fillmore" by Samuele Wikipediano 1348 is licensed under BY-SA 4.0. - Original / License Term in office: July 9, 1850 – March 4, 1853Number: 13Popularity: 34%44. Chester A. Arthur Arthur is well known for his taste for fine furnishings, which earned him the nickname the “Gentlemen Boss.” Term in office: September 19, 1881 – March 4, 1885Number: 21Popularity: 33%45. Franklin Pierce According to YouGov, Franklin Pierce is the least popular US president. ©"14 Franklin Pierce" by US Department of State is licensed under PDM 1.0. - Original / License Term in office: March 4, 1853 – March 4, 1857Number: 14Popularity: 30%The image featured at the top of this post is ©Mihai_Andritoiu/Shutterstock.com.
