Balsam Lake leans heavily Republican by roughly 34 points: about 33% of voters vote Democratic and 67% Republican.
About 77% of adults in Balsam Lake typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Balsam Lake, ~25% vote Democratic, ~52% Republican, and ~23% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Balsam Lake compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Balsam Lake leans more Republican than 28 of 56 neighbors.
Balsam Lake runs about 33 points more Republican than Wisconsin as a whole.
Why Balsam Lake leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Balsam Lake. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Balsam Lake, WI 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 Balsam Lake looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Balsam Lake 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 68%, about 8 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Lykens, WI R+35
- Centuria, WI R+35
- Lewis, WI R+33
- Milltown, WI R+29
- Fox Creek, WI R+32
- Range, WI R+34
- Ubet, WI R+31
- Amery, WI R+25
- Luck, WI R+33
- Sand Lake, WI R+31
Cities with Similar Populations
- Flat Rock, IL R+64
- Dornsife, PA R+67
- Alpena Junction, MI R+33
- Mangham, LA R+73
- Oregon, MO R+60
- Asherton, TX D+4
- Waterford, VT R+5
- Clements, CA R+51
- Pennington, MN Even
- D'Hanis, TX R+68
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.