40218 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 40 points: about 70% of voters vote Democratic and 30% Republican.
About 53% of adults in 40218 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 40218, ~37% vote Democratic, ~16% Republican, and ~47% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 40218 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 40218 leans more Democratic than 33 of 43 neighbors.
40218 runs about 70 points more Democratic than Kentucky as a whole. Kentucky leans Republican overall, while 40218 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 40218. The southwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+76) and the east side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+19), a spread of about 56 points.
Why 40218 leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per zip code to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for 40218, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 99% of residents in 40218 live in densely developed areas, about 62 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 40% of adults in 40218 have never been married, above 87% of zip codes. 40218 runs against the grain of Kentucky, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; 40218, KY sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 40218 looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 50% of households in 40218 rent, about 25 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Zip Codes
Zip Codes with Similar Populations
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Kentucky State Board of Elections, distributed by the Voting and Election Science Team. Demographic inputs come from the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-year estimates and the 2020 Decennial Census). Health and environmental inputs come from the CDC (PLACES and the Environmental Justice Index). Land cover comes from the USGS and EPA. Election-day and lead-up weather come from PRISM 4km daily grids and the NOAA Global Historical Climatology Network. Mail-voting and election-administration patterns come from the MIT Election Lab's Survey of the Performance of American Elections. Block-group crime detail comes from CrimeGrade. Internet data and modeling support provided by ISPreports.org.
Modeling and analysis by the BestNeighborhood data science team. Full methodology and findings: political spectrum map.
Methodology reviewed by the BestNeighborhood data team. Last updated May 2026.