Athens leans heavily Republican by roughly 48 points: about 26% of voters vote Democratic and 74% Republican.
About 72% of adults in Athens typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Athens, ~19% vote Democratic, ~53% Republican, and ~28% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Athens compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Athens leans more Republican than 21 of 35 neighbors.
Athens runs about 46 points more Republican than Wisconsin as a whole.
Why Athens 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 Athens, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with a high white share and below-average college attainment vote Republican. In Athens, about 95% of residents are non-Hispanic white, about 23 points above the U.S. average of 72%; about 13% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, about 14 points below the Wisconsin average of 26%.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Athens, WI sits above the national average 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 Athens looks the way it does
Turnout in Athens 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
- Poniatowski, WI R+49
- Corinth, WI R+51
- Milan, WI R+50
- Edgar, WI R+42
- Rib Falls, WI R+46
- Hamburg, WI R+45
- Fenwood, WI R+47
- Stetsonville, WI R+55
- Marathon, WI R+42
- Marathon City, WI R+24
Cities with Similar Populations
- Bellevue, IL R+14
- Idaho Springs, CO D+27
- Orchard City, CO R+45
- Yardley, PA D+27
- Royalton, MN R+58
- Iberia, MO R+73
- Bethlehem, WV R+30
- Onamia, MN R+33
- Randolph, NY R+42
- New Johnsonville, TN R+61
All Local Stats
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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.