Unicoi County is a Republican stronghold. About 22% of voters here vote Democratic and 78% Republican.
About 70% of adults in Unicoi County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Unicoi County, ~15% vote Democratic, ~55% Republican, and ~30% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Unicoi County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Unicoi County leans more Republican than 11 of 17 neighbors.
Unicoi County runs about 27 points more Republican than Tennessee as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Unicoi County. The east side is the most Republican-leaning (R+66) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+49), a spread of about 16 points.
Why Unicoi 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 Unicoi County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 83% of residents in Unicoi County drive to work alone, about 9 points above the U.S. average of 74%.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; Unicoi County, TN 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 Unicoi County looks the way it does
Turnout in Unicoi County sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Washington County, TN R+37
- Carter County, TN R+61
- Yancey County, NC R+43
- Mitchell County, NC R+56
- Greene County, TN R+62
- Madison County, NC R+34
- Avery County, NC R+52
- Sullivan County, TN R+50
- Bristol City, VA R+32
- Hawkins County, TN R+66
Counties with Similar Populations
- Bertie County, NC D+19
- Kalkaska County, MI R+42
- Johnson County, TN R+67
- Schuyler County, NY R+23
- Grant County, AR R+71
- Attala County, MS R+13
- Madison County, FL R+18
- Benzie County, MI R+10
- Young County, TX R+66
- Russell County, KY R+67
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Tennessee Secretary of State, Division 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.