Buffalo County, SD Political Map | Democrat & Republican Areas in Buffalo County

By the BestNeighborhood data science team. Last updated May 2026.

Buffalo County leans Democratic by roughly 24 points: about 62% of voters vote Democratic and 38% Republican.

 

About 52% of adults in Buffalo County typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Buffalo County, ~32% vote Democratic, ~20% Republican, and ~48% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.

How Buffalo County compares

Among counties within 50 miles, Buffalo County is the most Democratic-leaning.

Buffalo County runs about 53 points more Democratic than South Dakota as a whole. South Dakota leans Republican overall, while Buffalo County is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.

Politics vary noticeably by city within Buffalo County. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+43) and the southeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (Even), a spread of about 41 points.

Why Buffalo 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 Buffalo County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.

Buffalo County votes against the grain of South Dakota. South Dakota leans Republican overall, while Buffalo County runs about 53 points more Democratic. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 60% of adults in Buffalo County have never been married, in the top fraction of counties.

Preventive-care access and voter turnout

Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; Buffalo County, SD sits in the bottom tenth 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 Buffalo County looks the way it does

Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Buffalo County is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 46%, about 20 points below the South Dakota average of 66%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 48% of households in Buffalo County rent, compared to around 26% in nearby counties. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and Buffalo County sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.

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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.