40997 is a Republican stronghold. About 13% of voters here vote Democratic and 87% Republican.
About 56% of adults in 40997 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 40997, ~7% vote Democratic, ~49% Republican, and ~44% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 40997 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 40997 leans more Republican than 11 of 22 neighbors.
40997 runs about 44 points more Republican than Kentucky as a whole.
Why 40997 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 40997, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with a high white share and below-average college attainment vote Republican. In 40997, more than 99% of residents are non-Hispanic white, about 28 points above the U.S. average of 72%; about 1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, about 18 points below the Kentucky average of 19%.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; 40997, KY sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in 40997 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 40997 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 38%, about 16 points below the Kentucky average of 54%. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and 40997 sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. 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.