Ashland leans slightly Democratic by roughly 10 points: about 55% of voters vote Democratic and 45% Republican.
About 84% of adults in Ashland typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Ashland, ~46% vote Democratic, ~38% Republican, and ~16% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Ashland compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Ashland leans more Democratic than 16 of 26 neighbors.
Ashland runs about 11 points more Democratic than Wisconsin as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Ashland. The southeast side runs the most Democratic (D+24) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (R+4), a spread of about 28 points.
Why Ashland 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 Ashland, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 55% of residents in Ashland live in densely developed areas, about 19 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 38% of adults in Ashland have never been married, above 92% of cities.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Ashland, WI sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Ashland looks the way it does
Areas with high high-school completion turn out at higher rates. About 96% of adults in Ashland 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 Cities
- Barksdale, WI R+18
- Sanborn, WI R+37
- Ashland Junction, WI R+8
- Washburn, WI D+16
- Moquah, WI R+16
- Minersville, WI R+7
- New Odanah, WI D+45
- Marengo, WI R+19
Cities with Similar Populations
- Edenton, NC R+5
- Lacombe, LA R+32
- Nyack, NY D+51
- Lake Bluff, IL D+22
- Henrietta, NY D+12
- Yreka, CA R+23
- Hartville, OH R+38
- Duncansville, PA R+42
- Avondale, PA D+10
- Bacliff, TX R+21
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.