Ashland County is a true toss-up. About 50% of voters here vote Democratic and 50% Republican.
About 78% of adults in Ashland County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Ashland County, ~39% vote Democratic, ~39% Republican, and ~22% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Ashland County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Ashland County sits roughly in the middle of the political spectrum, with 1 neighbors leaning further in the place's direction and 3 leaning the other way.
Politically, Ashland County sits close to the rest of Wisconsin.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Ashland County. The northeast side runs the most Democratic (D+45) and the southeast side runs the most Republican (R+38), a spread of about 84 points.
Why Ashland County leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Ashland County. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
High-school completion and voter turnout
Places with high-school-completion-heavy adults tend to turn out at a higher rate; Ashland County, WI sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Ashland County looks the way it does
Areas with high high-school completion turn out at higher rates. About 96% of adults in Ashland County have completed high school, about 6 points above the U.S. average of 90%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Bayfield County, WI D+6
- Iron County, WI R+27
- Gogebic County, MI R+14
- Sawyer County, WI R+11
- Price County, WI R+36
- Douglas County, WI Even
- Lake County, MN R+5
- Washburn County, WI R+31
- Vilas County, WI R+18
- Ontonagon County, MI R+26
Counties with Similar Populations
- Kanabec County, MN R+44
- Rockcastle County, KY R+70
- Bates County, MO R+60
- Radford City, VA Even
- Trinity County, CA R+14
- Casey County, KY R+72
- Crawford County, WI R+26
- Appomattox County, VA R+44
- Otoe County, NE R+39
- Union County, FL R+61
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Wisconsin Elections Commission, 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.