Powell County is a Republican stronghold. About 20% of voters here vote Democratic and 80% Republican.
About 71% of adults in Powell County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Powell County, ~14% vote Democratic, ~57% Republican, and ~29% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Powell County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Powell County leans more Republican than 14 of 27 neighbors.
Powell County runs about 29 points more Republican than Kentucky as a whole.
Why Powell 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 Powell County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 88% of residents in Powell County drive to work alone, about 14 points above the U.S. average of 74%. A high white share with below-average college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Powell County fits that profile on both counts. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 69% of households in Powell County are family households, above 75% of counties.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; Powell County, KY sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in Powell County looks the way it does
Turnout in Powell County sits close to the national pattern. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Estill County, KY R+63
- Montgomery County, KY R+52
- Menifee County, KY R+64
- Clark County, KY R+39
- Lee County, KY R+67
- Bath County, KY R+61
- Wolfe County, KY R+57
- Madison County, KY R+26
- Owsley County, KY R+74
- Bourbon County, KY R+37
Counties with Similar Populations
- Cass County, IA R+41
- Big Horn County, MT Even
- Kodiak Island Borough, AK R+16
- Shoshone County, ID R+43
- Mason County, IL R+46
- Lewis County, KY R+66
- Crenshaw County, AL R+54
- Mono County, CA D+13
- Lamb County, TX R+57
- Cass County, IL R+31
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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.