Riley County is a true toss-up. About 52% of voters here vote Democratic and 48% Republican.
About 54% of adults in Riley County typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Riley County, ~28% vote Democratic, ~26% Republican, and ~46% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Riley County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Riley County is the most Democratic-leaning.
Riley County runs about 20 points more Democratic than Kansas as a whole. Kansas leans Republican overall, while Riley County is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Riley County. The east side runs the most Democratic (D+23) and the northwest side runs the most Republican (R+51), a spread of about 74 points.
Why Riley 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 Riley County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Riley County votes against the grain of Kansas. Kansas leans Republican overall, while Riley County runs about 20 points more Democratic.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Riley County, KS sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Riley County looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 52% of households in Riley County rent, about 27 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Geary County, KS R+16
- Pottawatomie County, KS R+46
- Wabaunsee County, KS R+53
- Clay County, KS R+56
- Morris County, KS R+52
- Dickinson County, KS R+51
- Marshall County, KS R+53
- Washington County, KS R+67
- Jackson County, KS R+45
- Shawnee County, KS D+4
Counties with Similar Populations
- Morgan County, IN R+51
- Creek County, OK R+55
- DeKalb County, AL R+71
- Pottawatomie County, OK R+49
- Surry County, NC R+52
- Tooele County, UT R+45
- Christian County, KY R+21
- Robertson County, TN R+46
- Franklin County, MA D+22
- McKinley County, NM D+27
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.