Kelly leans slightly Republican by roughly 14 points: about 43% of voters vote Democratic and 57% Republican.
About 91% of adults in Kelly typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Kelly, ~39% vote Democratic, ~52% Republican, and ~9% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Kelly compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Kelly leans more Republican than 29 of 57 neighbors.
Kelly runs about 11 points more Republican than North Carolina as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Kelly. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+48) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+9), a spread of about 39 points.
Why Kelly 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 Kelly, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 4% of residents in Kelly live in densely developed areas, about 23 points below the North Carolina average of 27%. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Kelly sits in the bottom quarter (about 3%, in the bottom fraction of cities).
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; Kelly, NC sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Kelly looks the way it does
Turnout in Kelly 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
- Carvers, NC D+31
- East Arcadia, NC D+57
- Sandyfield, NC D+8
- Point Caswell, NC R+16
- Atkinson, NC R+15
- Riegelwood, NC D+3
- Goose Hollow, NC Even
- Council, NC D+20
Cities with Similar Populations
- Hobart, NY Even
- Martins Creek, PA R+38
- Westley, CA R+31
- Caseyville, MS R+68
- Puckett, MS R+72
- Shady Dale, GA R+57
- Keiser, AR R+73
- Loch Lloyd, MO R+22
- Fort Shaw, MT R+63
- Jolo, WV R+75
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from North Carolina 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.