Fayette County leans Democratic by roughly 24 points: about 62% of voters vote Democratic and 38% Republican.
About 65% of adults in Fayette County typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Fayette County, ~40% vote Democratic, ~25% Republican, and ~35% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Fayette County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Fayette County is the most Democratic-leaning.
Fayette County runs about 55 points more Democratic than Kentucky as a whole. Kentucky leans Republican overall, while Fayette County is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Fayette County. The north side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+51) and the southwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+8), a spread of about 43 points.
Why Fayette County leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per county to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Fayette County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 91% of residents in Fayette County live in densely developed areas, about 55 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Fayette County sits in the top quarter (about 48%, above 96% of counties). Fayette County runs against the grain of Kentucky, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Fayette County, KY sits in the top tenth 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 Fayette County looks the way it does
Turnout in Fayette County 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 Counties
- Jessamine County, KY R+35
- Woodford County, KY R+29
- Scott County, KY R+29
- Clark County, KY R+39
- Bourbon County, KY R+37
- Anderson County, KY R+50
- Franklin County, KY R+19
- Madison County, KY R+26
- Mercer County, KY R+52
- Garrard County, KY R+59
Counties with Similar Populations
- Lancaster County, NE D+7
- Escambia County, FL R+13
- Durham County, NC D+59
- Luzerne County, PA R+14
- Spartanburg County, SC R+25
- Weld County, CO R+17
- St. Lucie County, FL R+5
- Albany County, NY D+30
- Boulder County, CO D+52
- Rockingham County, NH D+6
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.