59486 leans heavily Republican by roughly 44 points: about 28% of voters vote Democratic and 72% Republican.
About 49% of adults in 59486 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 59486, ~14% vote Democratic, ~35% Republican, and ~51% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 59486 compares
59486 sits in a sparsely populated area with few comparable zip codes nearby.
59486 runs about 24 points more Republican than Montana as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 59486. The northwest side runs the most Democratic (D+61) and the southeast side runs the most Republican (R+54), a spread of about 116 points.
Why 59486 leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per zip code to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for 59486, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with low college attainment vote Republican. About 15% of adults in 59486 hold a bachelor's degree, about 14 points below the Montana average of 29%. Rural areas vote Republican, and 59486 sits in the bottom quarter on density (about 2%, below 96% of zip codes).
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; 59486, MT sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in 59486 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 59486 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 48%, about 13 points below the Montana average of 62%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 28% of adults in 59486 report food insecurity, above 93% of zip codes. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 76% of adults in 59486 have completed high school, below 95% of zip codes. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Zip Codes
Zip Codes with Similar Populations
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Montana Secretary of State, 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.