Bear Lake leans Republican by roughly 20 points: about 40% of voters vote Democratic and 60% Republican.
About 88% of adults in Bear Lake typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Bear Lake, ~35% vote Democratic, ~53% Republican, and ~12% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Bear Lake compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Bear Lake leans more Republican than 15 of 37 neighbors.
Bear Lake runs about 19 points more Republican than Michigan as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Bear Lake. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+38) and the northwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+15), a spread of about 23 points.
Why Bear Lake leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Bear Lake. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Bear Lake, MI sits in the top quarter nationally 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 Bear Lake looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Bear 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 70%, about 10 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 94% of households in Bear Lake own their home, about 19 points above the U.S. average of 75%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Pierport, MI R+10
- Onekama, MI R+2
- Arcadia, MI R+16
- Norwalk, MI R+25
- Kaleva, MI R+34
- Red Park, MI R+15
- Filer City, MI R+16
- Watervale, MI R+3
- Newland, MI R+16
- Brethren, MI R+35
Cities with Similar Populations
- Harleyville, SC R+16
- Dedeaux, MS R+82
- Depoy, KY R+60
- Inyokern, CA R+40
- Doerun, GA R+57
- Lynn, IN R+60
- Mauriceville, TX R+81
- Waitsfield, VT D+29
- Houlton, WI R+23
- South Wales, NY R+31
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.