Central City leans heavily Republican by roughly 46 points: about 27% of voters vote Democratic and 73% Republican.
About 65% of adults in Central City typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Central City, ~18% vote Democratic, ~48% Republican, and ~34% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Central City compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Central City leans more Republican than 3 of 96 neighbors.
Central City runs about 15 points more Republican than Kentucky as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Central City. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+60) and the northeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+35), a spread of about 25 points.
Why Central City 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 Central City, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 88% of residents in Central City drive to work alone, about 14 points above the U.S. average of 74%. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Central City sits in the bottom quarter (about 6%, below 98% of cities).
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Central City, KY sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Central City looks the way it does
Turnout in Central City 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
- Wells, KY R+43
- South Carrollton, KY R+61
- Nelson, KY R+61
- Gishton, KY R+65
- Cleaton, KY R+61
- Powderly, KY R+57
- Moorman, KY R+62
- Bremen, KY R+66
Cities with Similar Populations
- Holtville, CA R+12
- Green, OR R+31
- Du Quoin, IL R+42
- Twin Lakes, WI R+27
- Bellwood, VA D+26
- Youngstown, FL R+68
- Belmont, NH R+24
- Mahtomedi, MN D+16
- Bluefield, VA R+47
- Somerset, WI R+31
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.