Alpena County leans Republican by roughly 24 points: about 38% of voters vote Democratic and 62% Republican.
About 83% of adults in Alpena County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Alpena County, ~32% vote Democratic, ~52% Republican, and ~16% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Alpena County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Alpena County is the least Republican-leaning.
Alpena County runs about 23 points more Republican than Michigan as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Alpena County. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+47) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+6), a spread of about 41 points.
Why Alpena 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 Alpena County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with a high white share and below-average college attainment vote Republican. In Alpena County, about 93% of residents are non-Hispanic white, about 21 points above the U.S. average of 72%; about 18% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, about 8 points below the Michigan average of 26%.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Alpena County, MI sits in the top 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 Alpena County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Alpena County is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 65%, above 78% of counties. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 81% of households in Alpena County own their home, above 81% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Alcona County, MI R+36
- Presque Isle County, MI R+36
- Montmorency County, MI R+42
- Oscoda County, MI R+44
- Iosco County, MI R+28
- Otsego County, MI R+28
- Cheboygan County, MI R+26
- Ogemaw County, MI R+40
- Crawford County, MI R+31
- Arenac County, MI R+40
Counties with Similar Populations
- Glenn County, CA R+32
- Van Wert County, OH R+56
- Ellis County, KS R+38
- Pine County, MN R+37
- Fayette County, OH R+55
- Marion County, TN R+62
- Ripley County, IN R+59
- Garrett County, MD R+50
- Jasper County, SC Even
- Cherokee County, NC R+51
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Michigan Department 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.