Monroe County is a Republican stronghold. About 15% of voters here vote Democratic and 85% Republican.
About 72% of adults in Monroe County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Monroe County, ~11% vote Democratic, ~61% Republican, and ~28% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Monroe County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Monroe County leans more Republican than 22 of 24 neighbors.
Monroe County runs about 39 points more Republican than Kentucky as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Monroe County. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+78) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+64), a spread of about 13 points.
Why Monroe 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 Monroe County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with a high white share and below-average college attainment vote Republican. In Monroe County, about 92% of residents are non-Hispanic white, about 19 points above the U.S. average of 72%; about 17% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, about 12 points below the U.S. average of 28%.
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; Monroe County, KY sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Monroe County looks the way it does
Turnout in Monroe 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
- Clay County, TN R+67
- Cumberland County, KY R+67
- Metcalfe County, KY R+65
- Macon County, TN R+68
- Barren County, KY R+50
- Jackson County, TN R+65
- Allen County, KY R+64
- Trousdale County, TN R+59
- Clinton County, KY R+72
- Overton County, TN R+67
Counties with Similar Populations
- Live Oak County, TX R+61
- Montgomery County, MO R+56
- Jefferson Davis County, MS D+6
- Wabash County, IL R+51
- Okfuskee County, OK R+53
- Pope County, MN R+38
- Blanco County, TX R+53
- Martin County, KY R+74
- Greensville County, VA D+13
- Desha County, AR R+7
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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.