Shelby Gap is a Republican stronghold. About 15% of voters here vote Democratic and 85% Republican.
About 60% of adults in Shelby Gap typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Shelby Gap, ~9% vote Democratic, ~51% Republican, and ~40% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Shelby Gap compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Shelby Gap leans more Republican than 111 of 140 neighbors.
Shelby Gap runs about 40 points more Republican than Kentucky as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Shelby Gap. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+74) and the northwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+57), a spread of about 16 points.
Why Shelby Gap 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 Shelby Gap, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 99% of residents in Shelby Gap drive to work alone, about 25 points above the U.S. average of 74%. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Shelby Gap sits in the bottom quarter (about 12%, below 87% of cities).
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; Shelby Gap, 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 Shelby Gap looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Shelby Gap is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 50%, about 10 points below the U.S. average of 60%. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 86% of adults in Shelby Gap have completed high school, below 76% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Dorton, KY R+72
- Potters Fork, KY R+72
- Ashcamp, KY R+69
- Hellier, KY R+78
- Jonancy, KY R+73
- Burdine, KY R+66
- Lookout, KY R+72
- Norland, VA R+66
- Jenkins, KY R+67
- Freeling, VA R+66
Cities with Similar Populations
- Upland, WV R+60
- Ryde, CA R+5
- Middle Ridge, WI R+24
- Tiffin, MO R+68
- Hannahs Mill, GA R+75
- Svensen, OR R+21
- Kniveton, KS R+48
- Paradise, MI R+25
- Panacea Park, FL R+49
- Sandgate, VT D+19
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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.