Boyd County leans heavily Republican by roughly 38 points: about 31% of voters vote Democratic and 69% Republican.
About 72% of adults in Boyd County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Boyd County, ~22% vote Democratic, ~50% Republican, and ~28% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Boyd County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Boyd County leans more Republican than 2 of 19 neighbors.
Boyd County runs about 8 points more Republican than Kentucky as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Boyd County. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+55) and the northeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+18), a spread of about 37 points.
Why Boyd County leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per county to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Boyd County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Boyd County votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 59%, far above the Kentucky average of 18%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Boyd County, KY sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in Boyd County looks the way it does
Turnout in Boyd County sits close to the national pattern. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Lawrence County, OH R+50
- Greenup County, KY R+52
- Wayne County, WV R+55
- Cabell County, WV R+19
- Carter County, KY R+61
- Lawrence County, KY R+67
- Scioto County, OH R+47
- Elliott County, KY R+57
- Gallia County, OH R+57
- Lincoln County, WV R+65
Counties with Similar Populations
- Shelby County, OH R+58
- Crittenden County, AR D+22
- Le Flore County, OK R+63
- Lincoln Parish, LA R+13
- Curry County, NM R+34
- Tioga County, NY R+27
- Shelby County, KY R+32
- Carter County, OK R+46
- Bingham County, ID R+54
- Whitman County, WA D+16
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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.