Kelso is a Republican stronghold. About 12% of voters here vote Democratic and 88% Republican.
About 64% of adults in Kelso typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Kelso, ~8% vote Democratic, ~56% Republican, and ~36% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Kelso compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Kelso leans more Republican than 49 of 55 neighbors.
Kelso runs about 47 points more Republican than Tennessee as a whole.
Why Kelso 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 Kelso, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 92% of residents in Kelso drive to work alone, about 18 points above the U.S. average of 74%. A high white share with below-average college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Kelso fits that profile on both counts.
Homeownership and voter turnout
Places with homeowner-heavy households tend to turn out at a higher rate; Kelso, TN sits above the national average on this measure.
Why turnout in Kelso looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Kelso is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Flintville, TN R+77
- Smithland, TN R+77
- Elora, TN R+77
- Fayetteville, TN R+57
- Mulberry, TN R+73
- Plevna, AL R+71
- Skinem, AL R+71
- Huntland, TN R+69
- Howell, TN R+70
- Sulphur Springs, AL R+51
Cities with Similar Populations
- Ventura, IA R+32
- Grayland, WA R+21
- Bernhards Bay, NY R+43
- Conover, WI R+29
- Parksville, KY R+65
- Louin, MS R+5
- Scott, IN R+63
- Lynnville, IN R+51
- Eldon, IA R+43
- Glenfield, NY R+50
All Local Stats
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Tennessee Secretary of State, Division 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.