Downtown Lexington is a Democratic stronghold. About 77% of voters here vote Democratic and 23% Republican.
About 54% of adults in Downtown Lexington typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Downtown Lexington, ~41% vote Democratic, ~12% Republican, and ~47% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Downtown Lexington compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Downtown Lexington leans more Democratic than 19 of 21 neighbors.
Downtown Lexington runs about 86 points more Democratic than Kentucky as a whole. Kentucky leans Republican overall, while Downtown Lexington is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Downtown Lexington. The east side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+61) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+45), a spread of about 17 points.
Why Downtown Lexington leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per neighborhood to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Downtown Lexington, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in Downtown Lexington live in densely developed areas, about 64 points above the U.S. average of 36%. Downtown Lexington runs against the grain of Kentucky, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Downtown Lexington, Lexington, KY sits in the top 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 Downtown Lexington looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 73% of households in Downtown Lexington rent, about 48 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Duncan Park, Lexington, KY D+68
- Mount Vernon-Hollywood-Montclair, Lexington, KY D+54
- University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY D+52
- Virginia Ave, Lexington, KY D+41
- Fairway-Liberty Heights, Lexington, KY D+43
- Chevy Chase-Ashland Park, Lexington, KY D+44
- Castlewood Park, Lexington, KY D+16
- Cardinal Hill-Pine Meadow, Lexington, KY D+40
- Southland Deerfield Open Gates, Lexington, KY D+30
- Kenawood-Rockwood, Lexington, KY D+9
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Peterson, Tempe, AZ D+30
- La Sierra Hills, Riverside, CA Even
- Columbia Heights, San Antonio, TX D+33
- Waltherson, Baltimore, MD D+75
- Madison South, Portland, OR D+65
- Briarcliffe, Glenolden, PA D+15
- Birchwood, Bellingham, WA D+46
- Bandini, Commerce, CA D+37
- National Hills, Augusta, GA D+29
- Howard Park, Gwynn Oak, MD D+85
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.