Rutherford is a Republican stronghold. About 11% of voters here vote Democratic and 89% Republican.
About 55% of adults in Rutherford typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Rutherford, ~6% vote Democratic, ~49% Republican, and ~45% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Rutherford compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Rutherford leans more Republican than 93 of 119 neighbors.
Rutherford runs about 47 points more Republican than Kentucky as a whole.
Why Rutherford 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 Rutherford, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 3% of residents in Rutherford live in densely developed areas, about 15 points below the Kentucky average of 18%. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Rutherford sits in the bottom quarter (about 12%, below 87% of cities).
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; Rutherford, KY sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Rutherford looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 32% of households in Rutherford rent, about 7 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Limited routine healthcare access lines up with lower turnout, and Rutherford sits in the bottom quarter on routine-care measures. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 78% of adults in Rutherford have completed high school, below 93% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Holmes Mill, KY R+79
- Shepherd Hill, VA R+69
- Closplint, KY R+79
- Hiram, KY R+78
- Keokee, VA R+68
- Black Bottom, KY R+79
- Benham, KY R+58
- Maness, VA R+67
- Cumberland, KY R+68
Cities with Similar Populations
- North Rim, AZ D+3
- Battle Hollow, PA R+62
- Rinconada, NM D+13
- Cochrane, AL D+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.