Nicholasville leans heavily Republican by roughly 34 points: about 33% of voters vote Democratic and 67% Republican.
About 73% of adults in Nicholasville typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Nicholasville, ~24% vote Democratic, ~49% Republican, and ~27% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Nicholasville compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Nicholasville leans more Republican than 11 of 74 neighbors.
Politically, Nicholasville sits close to the rest of Kentucky.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Nicholasville. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+44) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+31), a spread of about 14 points.
Why Nicholasville 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 Nicholasville, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Nicholasville votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 53%, far above the Kentucky average of 18%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Nicholasville, KY sits in the top quarter nationally 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 Nicholasville looks the way it does
Turnout in Nicholasville 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 Cities
- Union Mills, KY R+36
- Keene, KY R+36
- Wilmore, KY R+36
- Troy, KY R+35
- Hall, KY R+58
- Pink, KY R+61
- Edenton, KY R+60
- Little Hickman, KY R+58
- Lexington, KY D+24
Cities with Similar Populations
- Plymouth, MI D+5
- DePere, WI R+8
- Thibodaux, LA R+33
- Buffalo Grove, IL D+25
- Canonsburg, PA R+14
- Westfield, MA Even
- Carol Stream, IL D+10
- Hallandale Beach, FL D+8
- Beverly Hills, CA D+18
- Fairburn, GA D+71
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.