Bridgewater is a Republican stronghold. About 21% of voters here vote Democratic and 79% Republican.
About 61% of adults in Bridgewater typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Bridgewater, ~13% vote Democratic, ~48% Republican, and ~39% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Bridgewater compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Bridgewater leans more Republican than 14 of 28 neighbors.
Bridgewater runs about 28 points more Republican than South Dakota as a whole.
Why Bridgewater leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Bridgewater. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Park access and Republican lean
Places with low park coverage tend to lean Republican; Bridgewater, SD sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Park access does not change how people vote; it tends to track denser, higher-income areas.
Why turnout in Bridgewater looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Bridgewater 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 71%, about 11 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Stanley Corner, SD R+54
- Emery, SD R+69
- Dolton, SD R+59
- Canistota, SD R+55
- Spencer, SD R+53
- Salem, SD R+51
- Freeman, SD R+60
- Monroe, SD R+54
- Alexandria, SD R+71
- Marion, SD R+51
Cities with Similar Populations
- Denver, NY Even
- Delray, WV R+69
- Ira, VA R+70
- Butte Falls, OR R+40
- Lynch, KY R+56
- Red Cliff, WI D+60
- Niantic, IL R+51
- Dunbarton, NH R+5
- Cobb, OK R+64
- White Mound, TX R+70
All Local Stats
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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.