HarrisDemocratic11.0%203TrumpRepublican88.4%1,625KennedyIndependent0.4%8
R+77.3- Lead
- 1,422
- Total
- 1,839
- vs nation
- R+75.9
- Turnout
- 57.5%
Akashiccounty
Owsley County, KY
Office (updates table and map)
President margin by year
Place winner margin
Boundary by 2024 margin · Precinct returns · VEST · MIT Election Lab
The precinct map shows the 2024 presidential vote; the timeline scrubs the county’s overall result across 1892–2024.
President results by year
2024 turnout 57.5% of 3,205 citizens 18+
BidenDemocratic11.4%216TrumpRepublican88.1%1,671JorgensenLibertarian0.3%6
R+76.7- Lead
- 1,455
- Total
- 1,896
- vs nation
- R+81.2
- Turnout
- 53.2%
ClintonDemocratic14.6%256TrumpRepublican83.8%1,474JohnsonLibertarian1.4%24
R+69.2- Lead
- 1,218
- Total
- 1,759
- vs nation
- R+71.3
- Turnout
- 49.9%
ObamaDemocratic17.9%283RomneyRepublican80.9%1,279OtherAll other candidates1.1%18
R+63.0- Lead
- 996
- Total
- 1,580
- vs nation
- R+66.9
- Turnout
- —
ObamaDemocratic22.6%381McCainRepublican75.9%1,279OtherAll other candidates1.5%26
R+53.3- Lead
- 898
- Total
- 1,686
- vs nation
- R+60.5
- Turnout
- —
KerryDemocratic21.5%430BushRepublican77.9%1,558OtherAll other candidates0.6%11
R+56.4- Lead
- 1,128
- Total
- 1,999
- vs nation
- R+54.0
- Turnout
- —
GoreDemocratic18.6%339BushRepublican80.3%1,466NaderGreen0.5%10
R+61.7- Lead
- 1,127
- Total
- 1,826
- vs nation
- R+62.2
- Turnout
- —
ClintonDemocratic37.4%647DoleRepublican53.2%920PerotReform8.9%153
R+15.8- Lead
- 273
- Total
- 1,728
- vs nation
- R+24.3
- Turnout
- —
Key facts
- 2024 presidential margin
- R+77.3MIT Election Lab
- Population
- 3,9712024 5-year
- Population density
- 20 / sq mi2024 5-year · TIGER/Line
- Land area
- 197 sq miTIGER/Line
- Median household income
- $22,1882024 5-year
- White (non-Hispanic)
- 95.5%2024 5-year
- Black
- 0.0%2024 5-year
- Hispanic / Latino
- 0.1%2024 5-year
- Peak Republican margin
- R+79.3 in 1928MIT Election Lab
- Most similar
- Lee County, KY · twin score 93.0
Midterm durability
Total general-election participants divided by same-year citizen voting-age population. These are total ballots or participating voters—not presidential candidate votes.
- 2024 total turnout
- 57.5%1,843 participants ÷ 3,205 CVAP
- 2020→2022 drop-off
- -5.4 ptsMidterm-resilient, low base
- Drop-off versus state
- -25.2 ptsPositive means a larger decline than the statewide pattern
- Mechanical 2026 scenario
- 62.9%–64.2%Recent-cycle and two-cycle persistence scenarios; not a forecast
| Election | Participants | CVAP | Turnout | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 · Presidential | 1,780 | 3,566 | 49.9% | A/A |
| 2018 · Midterm | 2,057 | 3,557 | 57.8% | A/A |
| 2020 · Presidential | 1,901 | 3,571 | 53.2% | A/A |
| 2022 · Midterm | 1,936 | 3,303 | 58.6% | A/A |
| 2024 · Presidential | 1,843 | 3,205 | 57.5% | A/A |
Sources and methods
- 2016: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 293/111.
- 2018: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 297/138.
- 2020: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 301/2.
- 2022: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 306/183.
- 2024: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 311/228.
presidential history
Party record book
Owsley County, KY · the strongest Democratic and Republican presidential performances recorded here, measured three ways.
1892–2024 · 34 presidential cycles
Highest vote share
Largest share of the presidential candidate vote cast here.
Democratic
Bill Clinton1996
37.4%
647 votes · R+15.8
Runner-up · Lyndon B. Johnson, 1964 · 32.7%
Republican
Herbert Hoover1928
89.5%
2,107 votes · R+79.3
Runner-up · Donald Trump, 2024 · 88.4%
Most votes
Largest number of votes cast for the party’s presidential nominee here.
Democratic
Bill Clinton1992
678votes
28.9% of the vote · R+32.4
Runner-up · Bill Clinton, 1996 · 647 votes
Republican
Wendell Willkie1940
2,672votes
81.8% of the vote · R+63.7
Runner-up · Alf Landon, 1936 · 2,273 votes
Best relative to the U.S.
This Place’s margin against the national margin in the same election — positive when it leaned toward the party more than the country did.
Democratic
Bill Clinton1996
−24.3pts D vs U.S.
Place R+15.8 · U.S. D+8.5
Runner-up · John W. Davis, 1924 · −37.1 pts
Republican
Alf Landon1936
+90.3pts R vs U.S.
Place R+66.1 · U.S. D+24.3
Runner-up · Donald Trump, 2020 · +81.2 pts
U.S. House elections · 3 House
Senate and governor results are in the Office selector at the top of this page.
U.S. House
Each row shows U.S. House votes counted inside this Place. “Vote lead” is the local lead here, not necessarily the winner of the full contest.
voter registration
Registered voters
By party of registration, over time
Party registration · 2024R+50.7
Presidential vote · 2024R+77.3
Registration leans Republican; the presidential vote runs 27 points more Republican than the rolls.
3,333 registered voters · 2024
domestic migration
Who moves in and out
Net migration over time, and who arrivals are — where they came from and what those places vote
+45 net domestic migration · 2025
20112025
Net −53 over 2011–2025 · gain loss
Arrivals reported $40,190 in average income, against $46,705 for residents who stayed — 14% lower. (IRS SOI, 2022–23)
Migration is one input to a place’s political change, not its cause — a shift can also come from residents changing their minds, generational turnover, or turnout. These figures describe the places people moved between; they do not measure how any mover voted.
| Year | Net domestic migration |
|---|---|
| 2011 | +77 |
| 2012 | −88 |
| 2013 | −29 |
| 2014 | −80 |
| 2015 | −37 |
| 2016 | +50 |
| 2017 | −63 |
| 2018 | +64 |
| 2019 | −55 |
| 2021 | −14 |
| 2022 | +6 |
| 2023 | +84 |
| 2024 | −13 |
| 2025 | +45 |
Owsley County, tucked in the Daniel Boone National Forest highlands, posted an R+77.3 margin in 2024 — among the widest presidential gaps of any county in the country — in a population of under 5,000 that has shed residents for decades.
Across the recorded series it reached a Republican high of 79.3 points in 1928. Between 2020 and 2024 the county moved 0.6 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 77.3 points.
A population of 3,971, a 96% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $22,188 describe the county. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Lee County and Jackson County.
Political twins — counties
The counties whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Lee County
Kentucky
93.0twin score
2008–2024 trajectory≠ American ancestry
Jackson County
Kentucky
92.3twin score
2000–2024 trajectory≠ median age
Clay County
Kentucky
90.7twin score
2008–2024 trajectory≠ median age
Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.
Browse places by community — income, education, race & ethnicity, language — all community cuts →
Compare two places, side by side
Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →
Cite this page
All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.
Owsley County, Kentucky. Akashic. https://akashic.app/county/21189/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
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Frequently asked questions
How did Owsley County, Kentucky vote in 2024?
In 2024, Owsley County, Kentucky voted Republican by 77.3 points (R+77.3), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 1,839 votes cast, 203 went Democratic and 1,625 went Republican.
How many people live in Owsley County, Kentucky?
Owsley County, Kentucky has a population of 3,971 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Owsley County, Kentucky?
Median household income in Owsley County, Kentucky is $22,188 — below the national median of $80,734. The Kentucky state median is $63,726.
What is the political history of Owsley County, Kentucky?
Akashic tracks 38 presidential elections in Owsley County, Kentucky from 1876 to 2024. Of those, 0 went Democratic and 34 went Republican.