Bowdle is a Republican stronghold. About 19% of voters here vote Democratic and 81% Republican.
About 51% of adults in Bowdle typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Bowdle, ~10% vote Democratic, ~42% Republican, and ~48% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Bowdle compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Bowdle leans more Republican than 1 of 12 neighbors.
Bowdle runs about 33 points more Republican than South Dakota as a whole.
Why Bowdle 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 Bowdle, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 4% of residents in Bowdle live in densely developed areas, about 6 points below the South Dakota average of 9%.
Developed land and Republican lean
Places with a rural land-use pattern tend to lean Republican; Bowdle, SD sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Developed land does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Bowdle looks the way it does
Turnout in Bowdle 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
- Java, SD R+78
- Hosmer, SD R+62
- Roscoe, SD R+64
- Tolstoy, SD R+69
- Hoven, SD R+72
- Hillsview, SD R+68
- Logan, SD R+70
- Selby, SD R+73
- Onaka, SD R+67
- Loyalton, SD R+65
Cities with Similar Populations
- Cottonville, AL R+68
- Cross Anchor, SC R+66
- West Berkshire, VT R+41
- Sunrise, MN R+43
- Caney, LA R+90
- Bremo Bluff, VA R+15
- Procious, WV R+62
- Ione, OR R+58
- Woodland, MN D+13
- Westchester, IN R+72
All Local Stats
Home Services
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from South Dakota 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.