Dawson Springs is a Republican stronghold. About 18% of voters here vote Democratic and 82% Republican.
About 71% of adults in Dawson Springs typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Dawson Springs, ~13% vote Democratic, ~58% Republican, and ~29% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Dawson Springs compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Dawson Springs leans more Republican than 33 of 68 neighbors.
Dawson Springs runs about 33 points more Republican than Kentucky as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Dawson Springs. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+72) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+56), a spread of about 16 points.
Why Dawson Springs 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 Dawson Springs, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 89% of residents in Dawson Springs drive to work alone, about 15 points above the U.S. average of 74%. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Dawson Springs sits in the bottom quarter (about 6%, below 98% of cities).
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Dawson Springs, KY sits in the top 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 Dawson Springs looks the way it does
Turnout in Dawson Springs sits close to the national pattern. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Claxton, KY R+66
- Charleston, KY R+73
- Olney, KY R+68
- St. Charles, KY R+68
- Richland, KY R+52
- Kirkwood Springs, KY R+72
- Rabbit Ridge, KY R+71
- Scottsburg, KY R+61
- Needmore, KY R+71
Cities with Similar Populations
- Crisfield, MD R+11
- South Shore, KY R+61
- Cleveland, NC R+49
- Weedsport, NY R+25
- Lakeview, GA R+50
- Homedale, ID R+56
- Neillsville, WI R+35
- Farrell, PA D+43
- Covington, IN R+56
- Silverhill, AL R+69
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.