Kelsa is a Republican stronghold. About 15% of voters here vote Democratic and 85% Republican.
About 65% of adults in Kelsa typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Kelsa, ~10% vote Democratic, ~55% Republican, and ~35% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Kelsa compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Kelsa leans more Republican than 87 of 159 neighbors.
Kelsa runs about 77 points more Republican than Virginia as a whole. Virginia leans Democratic overall, while Kelsa is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why Kelsa 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 Kelsa, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with a high white share and below-average college attainment vote Republican. In Kelsa, more than 99% of residents are non-Hispanic white, about 28 points above the U.S. average of 72%; fewer than 1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, about 28 points below the Virginia average of 29%. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 75% of households in Kelsa are family households, above 75% of cities. Kelsa runs against the grain of Virginia, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; Kelsa, VA sits in the bottom quarter 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 Kelsa looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 94% of households in Kelsa own their home, about 18 points above the Virginia average of 76%. Limited routine healthcare access lines up with lower turnout, and Kelsa sits in the bottom quarter on routine-care measures. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Stopover, KY R+73
- Hurley, VA R+71
- Ira, VA R+70
- Roseann, VA R+70
- Mohawk, WV R+89
- Majestic, KY R+72
- Phelps, KY R+73
- Panther, WV R+84
- Big Rock, VA R+67
- Home Creek, VA R+68
Cities with Similar Populations
- Lamb, KY R+74
- Clayhill, AL R+7
- Haverhill, OH R+56
- Hightowers, NC D+18
- Blanchard, ME R+38
- Hemlock Center, NH R+30
- Moores Corners, PA R+50
- Blue John, KY R+76
- Little River, NC R+24
- Shady Grove, VA R+36
All Local Stats
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Virginia Department 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.