42544 is a Republican stronghold. About 17% of voters here vote Democratic and 83% Republican.
About 69% of adults in 42544 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 42544, ~12% vote Democratic, ~57% Republican, and ~31% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 42544 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 42544 leans more Republican than 6 of 10 neighbors.
42544 runs about 36 points more Republican than Kentucky as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 42544. The west side is the most Republican-leaning (R+69) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+56), a spread of about 14 points.
Why 42544 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 42544, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with a high white share and below-average college attainment vote Republican. In 42544, about 94% of residents are non-Hispanic white, about 22 points above the U.S. average of 72%; about 17% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, about 11 points below the U.S. average of 28%.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; 42544, KY sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in 42544 looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 88% of households in 42544 own their home, about 10 points above the Kentucky average of 78%. 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.