University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY Political Map | Democrat & Republican Areas in University of Kentucky

By the BestNeighborhood data science team. Last updated May 2026.

University of Kentucky is a Democratic stronghold. About 76% of voters here vote Democratic and 24% Republican.

 

About 43% of adults in University of Kentucky typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in University of Kentucky, ~33% vote Democratic, ~10% Republican, and ~57% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.

How University of Kentucky compares

Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, University of Kentucky leans more Democratic than 18 of 22 neighbors.

University of Kentucky runs about 82 points more Democratic than Kentucky as a whole. Kentucky leans Republican overall, while University of Kentucky is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.

Politics vary noticeably by block within University of Kentucky. The northeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+61) and the north side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+41), a spread of about 20 points.

Why University of Kentucky 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 University of Kentucky, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.

University of Kentucky votes against the grain of Kentucky. Kentucky leans Republican overall, while University of Kentucky runs about 82 points more Democratic. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and University of Kentucky sits in the top quarter (about 63%, above 84% of neighborhoods). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 83% of adults in University of Kentucky have never been married, in the top fraction of neighborhoods.

Population density and Democratic lean

Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.

Why turnout in University of Kentucky looks the way it does

Renters vote less often than owners. About 88% of households in University of Kentucky rent, about 63 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Limited routine healthcare access lines up with lower turnout, and University of Kentucky sits in the bottom quarter on routine-care measures. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and more than 99% of adults in University of Kentucky have completed high school, above 93% of neighborhoods. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.

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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.