Marion County is a Republican stronghold. About 25% of voters here vote Democratic and 75% Republican.
About 70% of adults in Marion County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Marion County, ~18% vote Democratic, ~52% Republican, and ~30% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Marion County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Marion County leans more Republican than 10 of 24 neighbors.
Marion County runs about 20 points more Republican than Kentucky as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Marion County. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+65) and the north side is the least Republican-leaning (R+40), a spread of about 25 points.
Why Marion 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 Marion County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 85% of residents in Marion County drive to work alone, about 11 points above the U.S. average of 74%.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; Marion County, KY sits in the bottom quarter 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 Marion County looks the way it does
Turnout in Marion 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
- Washington County, KY R+58
- Taylor County, KY R+50
- Nelson County, KY R+46
- Larue County, KY R+58
- Green County, KY R+68
- Casey County, KY R+72
- Boyle County, KY R+29
- Mercer County, KY R+52
- Adair County, KY R+62
- Spencer County, KY R+56
Counties with Similar Populations
- Lincoln County, WY R+66
- Simpson County, KY R+42
- Duchesne County, UT R+76
- Wayne County, KY R+65
- East Feliciana Parish, LA R+24
- Macon County, AL D+57
- Elbert County, GA R+35
- Holmes County, FL R+71
- Gonzales County, TX R+41
- Fayette County, IA R+30
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.