Buffalo is a Republican stronghold. About 19% of voters here vote Democratic and 81% Republican.
About 69% of adults in Buffalo typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Buffalo, ~13% vote Democratic, ~56% Republican, and ~31% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Buffalo compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Buffalo leans more Republican than 41 of 79 neighbors.
Buffalo runs about 32 points more Republican than Kentucky as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Buffalo. The south side is the most Republican-leaning (R+72) and the northwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+61), a spread of about 11 points.
Why Buffalo leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per city to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Buffalo, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 90% of residents in Buffalo drive to work alone, about 16 points above the U.S. average of 74%. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 78% of households in Buffalo are family households, above 84% of cities.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; Buffalo, KY sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Buffalo looks the way it does
Turnout in Buffalo sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Jericho, KY R+62
- Mount Sherman, KY R+67
- South Buffalo, KY R+63
- Hodgenville, KY R+51
- Magnolia, KY R+67
- Linwood, KY R+70
- Tanner, KY R+66
- White City, KY R+61
- Mac, KY R+68
- Howardstown, KY R+61
Cities with Similar Populations
- Pittsfield, PA R+55
- Lake Shore, MN R+43
- Ware Place, SC R+67
- Marietta, WA D+41
- Buxton, NC R+33
- Pine Hall, NC R+52
- Port Jefferson, OH R+64
- Stewardson, IL R+65
- Laurel, NY R+7
- Sandyville, WV R+64
All Local Stats
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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.