Martin County is a Republican stronghold. About 13% of voters here vote Democratic and 87% Republican.
About 59% of adults in Martin County typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Martin County, ~8% vote Democratic, ~51% Republican, and ~41% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Martin County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Martin County is the most Republican-leaning.
Martin County runs about 43 points more Republican than Kentucky as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Martin County. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+78) and the southwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+63), a spread of about 15 points.
Why Martin 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 Martin County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 8% of residents in Martin County live in densely developed areas, about 10 points below the Kentucky average of 18%. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Martin County sits in the bottom quarter (about 11%, below 98% of counties).
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; Martin County, KY sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Martin County looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Martin 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 46%, about 8 points below the Kentucky average of 54%. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 75% of adults in Martin County have completed high school, below 98% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Johnson County, KY R+66
- Lawrence County, KY R+67
- Mingo County, WV R+71
- Floyd County, KY R+61
- Pike County, KY R+63
- Logan County, WV R+66
- Wayne County, WV R+55
- Magoffin County, KY R+67
- Lincoln County, WV R+65
- Elliott County, KY R+57
Counties with Similar Populations
- Owen County, KY R+63
- Pope County, MN R+38
- Okfuskee County, OK R+53
- Jefferson Davis County, MS D+6
- Watonwan County, MN R+29
- Montgomery County, MO R+56
- Live Oak County, TX R+61
- Monroe County, KY R+69
- Wabash County, IL R+51
- Dooly County, GA R+6
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.