Bell leans heavily Republican by roughly 32 points: about 34% of voters vote Democratic and 66% Republican.
About 82% of adults in Bell typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Bell, ~28% vote Democratic, ~54% Republican, and ~18% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Bell compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Bell leans more Republican than 4 of 15 neighbors.
Bell runs about 31 points more Republican than Michigan as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Bell. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+46) and the north side is the least Republican-leaning (R+23), a spread of about 23 points.
Why Bell leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Bell. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Never-married share, developed land, and voter turnout
Places that combine a low never-married share and a rural land-use pattern tend to turn out at a higher rate, as Bell, MI does.
Why turnout in Bell looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Bell 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 69%, about 9 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 95% of households in Bell own their home, about 20 points above the U.S. average of 75%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 97% of adults in Bell have completed high school, above 91% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Presque Isle, MI R+24
- Cathro, MI R+39
- Alpena Junction, MI R+33
- Alpena, MI R+16
- Posen, MI R+45
- Liske, MI R+46
- Herron, MI R+47
- Metz, MI R+46
- Lachine, MI R+45
- Hagensville, MI R+47
Cities with Similar Populations
- Glyndon, MD D+11
- Alvordton, OH R+64
- Phippsburg, CO R+2
- Morehouse, MO R+63
- Weir, TX R+27
- Limedale, IN R+55
- Elcho, WI R+37
- Stone Harbor, NJ R+8
- Flint Hill, VA R+25
- Waltonville, IL R+61
All Local Stats
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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.