Benton County leans Republican by roughly 26 points: about 37% of voters vote Democratic and 63% Republican.
About 65% of adults in Benton County typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Benton County, ~24% vote Democratic, ~41% Republican, and ~35% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Benton County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Benton County leans more Republican than 5 of 14 neighbors.
Politically, Benton County sits close to the rest of Mississippi.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Benton County. The northwest side runs the most Democratic (D+40) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (R+79), a spread of about 118 points.
Why Benton County leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per county to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Benton County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 6% of residents in Benton County live in densely developed areas, about 9 points below the Mississippi average of 15%. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Benton County sits in the bottom quarter (about 14%, below 92% of counties).
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; Benton County, MS sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in Benton County looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 85% of households in Benton County own their home, about 8 points above the Mississippi average of 77%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Tippah County, MS R+61
- Marshall County, MS R+3
- Union County, MS R+63
- Hardeman County, TN R+14
- Fayette County, TN R+33
- Lafayette County, MS R+16
- Alcorn County, MS R+59
- Prentiss County, MS R+58
- Pontotoc County, MS R+65
- DeSoto County, MS R+15
Counties with Similar Populations
- Decatur County, IA R+44
- Pleasants County, WV R+59
- McCulloch County, TX R+56
- Kane County, UT R+59
- Merrick County, NE R+60
- Red River Parish, LA R+19
- Franklin County, MS R+35
- Boise County, ID R+50
- Coleman County, TX R+63
- Washakie County, WY R+64
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Mississippi Secretary 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.