Alpena leans Republican by roughly 16 points: about 42% of voters vote Democratic and 58% Republican.
About 85% of adults in Alpena typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Alpena, ~36% vote Democratic, ~49% Republican, and ~15% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Alpena compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Alpena is the least Republican-leaning.
Alpena runs about 14 points more Republican than Michigan as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Alpena. The west side is the most split-leaning (R+26) and the southeast side is the least split-leaning (R+3), a spread of about 23 points.
Why Alpena leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per city to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Alpena, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Alpena votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 56%, well above the Michigan average of 31%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Alpena, MI sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in Alpena looks the way it does
Turnout in Alpena 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 Cities
- Alpena Junction, MI R+33
- Cathro, MI R+39
- Herron, MI R+47
- Ossineke, MI R+37
- Bell, MI R+33
- Hubbard Lake, MI R+44
- Spratt, MI R+46
- Lachine, MI R+45
- Presque Isle, MI R+24
- Spruce, MI R+29
Cities with Similar Populations
- San Carlos Park, FL R+22
- Florence, MS R+61
- Rockmart, GA R+52
- Nevada City, CA D+24
- Brooklyn, MD D+59
- Clanton, AL R+64
- Avenel, NJ D+21
- East Rancho Dominguez, CA D+43
- Floresville, TX R+37
- Centerton, AR R+31
All Local Stats
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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.