McKnightstown leans heavily Republican by roughly 44 points: about 28% of voters vote Democratic and 72% Republican.
About 88% of adults in McKnightstown typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in McKnightstown, ~25% vote Democratic, ~63% Republican, and ~12% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How McKnightstown compares
Among cities within 25 miles, McKnightstown leans more Republican than 56 of 115 neighbors.
McKnightstown runs about 43 points more Republican than Pennsylvania as a whole.
Why McKnightstown 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 McKnightstown, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with many family households vote Republican. About 79% of households in McKnightstown are family households, about 13 points above the U.S. average of 67%.
Homeownership and voter turnout
Places with homeowner-heavy households tend to turn out at a higher rate; McKnightstown, PA sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in McKnightstown looks the way it does
Areas with high high-school completion turn out at higher rates. About 98% of adults in McKnightstown have completed high school, about 7 points above the Pennsylvania average of 91%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Cashtown, PA R+40
- Knoxlyn, PA R+43
- Mummasburg, PA R+42
- Stremmels, PA R+13
- Orrtanna, PA R+43
- Arendtsville, PA R+32
- Biglerville, PA R+46
- Virginia Mills, PA R+58
- Heidlersburg, PA R+27
- Gettysburg, PA R+12
Cities with Similar Populations
- Zaneta, IA R+34
- Pleasant Green, MO R+67
- Loree, IN R+59
- Pleasant Grove Estates, AL R+49
- Longdale, VA R+61
- Gillises Mills, TN R+78
- Ulupalakua, HI D+24
- Ellis, ID R+61
- Hockingport, OH R+50
- Tocito, NM D+27
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau 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.