Lake County leans heavily Republican by roughly 38 points: about 31% of voters vote Democratic and 69% Republican.
About 46% of adults in Lake County typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Lake County, ~14% vote Democratic, ~32% Republican, and ~54% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Lake County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Lake County leans more Republican than 4 of 16 neighbors.
Lake County runs about 7 points more Republican than Tennessee as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Lake County. The west side is the most Republican-leaning (R+64) and the northeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+22), a spread of about 42 points.
Why Lake 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 Lake County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 85% of residents in Lake County drive to work alone, about 11 points above the U.S. average of 74%. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Lake County sits in the bottom quarter (about 11%, below 98% of counties).
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; Lake County, TN sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in Lake County looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Lake County is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 42%, about 14 points below the Tennessee average of 56%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 49% of households in Lake County rent, about 24 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 74% of adults in Lake County have completed high school, below 98% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Pemiscot County, MO R+30
- New Madrid County, MO R+46
- Dyer County, TN R+47
- Obion County, TN R+52
- Fulton County, KY R+41
- Dunklin County, MO R+50
- Mississippi County, MO R+35
- Hickman County, KY R+61
- Weakley County, TN R+53
- Lauderdale County, TN R+23
Counties with Similar Populations
- Ida County, IA R+57
- Bon Homme County, SD R+58
- Goliad County, TX R+60
- Caribou County, ID R+73
- Shannon County, MO R+68
- Fall River County, SD R+52
- Forest County, PA R+24
- Swisher County, TX R+48
- Tillman County, OK R+55
- Blaine County, MT Even
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.