Graves County is a Republican stronghold. About 21% of voters here vote Democratic and 79% Republican.
About 69% of adults in Graves County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Graves County, ~14% vote Democratic, ~54% Republican, and ~32% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Graves County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Graves County leans more Republican than 13 of 18 neighbors.
Graves County runs about 27 points more Republican than Kentucky as a whole.
Why Graves 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 Graves County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 82% of residents in Graves County drive to work alone, about 8 points above the U.S. average of 74%.
Never-married share and voter turnout
Places with a low never-married share tend to turn out at a higher rate; Graves County, KY sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Graves County looks the way it does
Turnout in Graves 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
- Hickman County, KY R+61
- Carlisle County, KY R+69
- Marshall County, KY R+57
- Calloway County, KY R+36
- McCracken County, KY R+30
- Fulton County, KY R+41
- Ballard County, KY R+62
- Massac County, IL R+46
- Livingston County, KY R+64
- Weakley County, TN R+53
Counties with Similar Populations
- Huntington County, IN R+45
- Coshocton County, OH R+54
- Sagadahoc County, ME D+8
- Okmulgee County, OK R+40
- Whitley County, KY R+68
- Putnam County, IN R+46
- Geary County, KS R+16
- Beauregard Parish, LA R+70
- Escambia County, AL R+38
- McLeod County, MN R+40
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.