Polk is a Republican stronghold. About 22% of voters here vote Democratic and 78% Republican.
About 68% of adults in Polk typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Polk, ~15% vote Democratic, ~53% Republican, and ~32% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Polk compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Polk leans more Republican than 24 of 59 neighbors.
Polk runs about 39 points more Republican than Kansas as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Polk. The west side is the most Republican-leaning (R+65) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+52), a spread of about 13 points.
Why Polk 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 Polk, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 85% of residents in Polk drive to work alone, about 11 points above the U.S. average of 74%.
Frequent mental distress and voter turnout
Places with a low frequent-mental-distress rate tend to turn out at a higher rate; Polk, KS sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Reported mental distress does not drive turnout; it reflects economic and health conditions tied to voting.
Why turnout in Polk looks the way it does
Turnout in Polk 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
- Girard, KS R+47
- Ringo, KS R+54
- Brazilton, KS R+63
- Farlington, KS R+62
- South Radley, KS R+45
- Greenbush, KS R+65
- Franklin, KS R+47
- Arma, KS R+45
Cities with Similar Populations
- Franklin, IA R+45
- Luzerne, IA R+42
- Bim, WV R+71
- Sangrey, MT D+72
- Dallardsville, TX R+58
- Havana, KS R+76
- Nitrate City, AL R+49
- West Newton, MN R+29
- Longtown, MO R+72
- North Orange, MA R+20
All Local Stats
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Kansas Secretary of State, 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.