Shawnee is a Democratic stronghold. About 93% of voters here vote Democratic and 7% Republican.
About 58% of adults in Shawnee typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Shawnee, ~54% vote Democratic, ~4% Republican, and ~42% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Shawnee compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Shawnee leans more Democratic than 12 of 16 neighbors.
Shawnee runs about 116 points more Democratic than Kentucky as a whole. Kentucky leans Republican overall, while Shawnee is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Shawnee. The southwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+90) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+73), a spread of about 17 points.
Why Shawnee leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per neighborhood to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Shawnee, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Shawnee votes against the grain of Kentucky. Kentucky leans Republican overall, while Shawnee runs about 116 points more Democratic. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 50% of adults in Shawnee have never been married, above 82% of neighborhoods.
Park access and Democratic lean
Places with heavy park coverage tend to lean Democratic; Shawnee, Louisville, KY sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Park access does not change how people vote; it tends to track denser, higher-income areas.
Why turnout in Shawnee looks the way it does
High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, mostly because the housing stress common in those areas makes voting harder. Shawnee sits in the top 15% nationally on a violent-crime measure. See CrimeGrade for more details. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Chickasaw, Louisville, KY D+89
- Portland, Louisville, KY D+29
- Parkland, Louisville, KY D+90
- Russell, Louisville, KY D+82
- California, Louisville, KY D+86
- Park Duvalle, Louisville, KY D+88
- Park Hill, Louisville, KY D+84
- Central Business District, Louisville, KY D+58
- Algonquin, Louisville, KY D+72
- Old Louisville, Louisville, KY D+66
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Beresford, San Mateo, CA D+52
- Downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY D+79
- Mondawin-Walbrook, Baltimore, MD D+86
- Spenard, Anchorage, AK D+29
- Kensington, Buffalo, NY D+76
- Airport-Pines Road, Shreveport, LA D+47
- Cathedral Park, Portland, OR D+66
- Hillcrest, San Diego, CA D+61
- McMurray-Huntingdon, Nashville, TN D+21
- Fruitvale Station, Oakland, CA D+52
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.