Meade County leans heavily Republican by roughly 48 points: about 26% of voters vote Democratic and 74% Republican.
About 74% of adults in Meade County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Meade County, ~19% vote Democratic, ~55% Republican, and ~26% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Meade County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Meade County leans more Republican than 8 of 19 neighbors.
Meade County runs about 18 points more Republican than Kentucky as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Meade County. The west side is the most Republican-leaning (R+58) and the northeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+8), a spread of about 50 points.
Why Meade 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 Meade County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with many family households vote Republican. About 72% of households in Meade County are family households, about 6 points above the U.S. average of 67%.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; Meade County, KY sits below the national average on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in Meade County looks the way it does
Turnout in Meade 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
- Hardin County, KY R+27
- Breckinridge County, KY R+58
- Harrison County, IN R+50
- Bullitt County, KY R+48
- Jefferson County, KY D+20
- Crawford County, IN R+52
- Floyd County, IN R+18
- Perry County, IN R+39
- Grayson County, KY R+63
- Larue County, KY R+58
Counties with Similar Populations
- Cass County, MN R+30
- Door County, WI R+3
- Haralson County, GA R+73
- Madison County, GA R+55
- Wayne County, GA R+52
- Meade County, SD R+51
- Randolph County, IL R+45
- Austin County, TX R+54
- Knox County, KY R+65
- Smyth County, VA R+57
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.