Defries is a Republican stronghold. About 15% of voters here vote Democratic and 85% Republican.
About 64% of adults in Defries typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Defries, ~10% vote Democratic, ~55% Republican, and ~35% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Defries compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Defries leans more Republican than 68 of 83 neighbors.
Defries runs about 39 points more Republican than Kentucky as a whole.
Why Defries 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 Defries, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with low college attainment vote Republican. About 6% of adults in Defries hold a bachelor's degree, about 13 points below the Kentucky average of 19%. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 75% of households in Defries are family households, above 77% of cities.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; Defries, 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 Defries looks the way it does
Turnout in Defries 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
- Canmer, KY R+68
- Hardyville, KY R+68
- Whickerville, KY R+73
- Webbs, KY R+72
- Coakley, KY R+72
- Rex, KY R+66
- Three Springs, KY R+67
- Pike View, KY R+69
- Gabe, KY R+72
- Summersville, KY R+72
Cities with Similar Populations
- Lanark, WV R+59
- Yellowbud, OH R+55
- Alcova, WY R+74
- Nellie, OH R+60
- New Miner, WI R+42
- Estatoe, NC R+47
- Etlan, VA R+35
- Panic, PA R+68
- Hosmer, SD R+62
- Prindle Corner, VT D+31
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.