Carleton leans heavily Republican by roughly 36 points: about 32% of voters vote Democratic and 68% Republican.
About 92% of adults in Carleton typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Carleton, ~29% vote Democratic, ~63% Republican, and ~8% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Carleton compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Carleton leans more Republican than 50 of 66 neighbors.
Carleton runs about 34 points more Republican than Michigan as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Carleton. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+43) and the northeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+32), a spread of about 11 points.
Why Carleton 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 Carleton, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Carleton votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 40%, modestly above the Michigan average of 31%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Carleton, MI sits in the top quarter 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 Carleton looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Carleton 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 70%, about 10 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Waltz, MI R+31
- Scofield, MI R+43
- New Boston, MI R+27
- Newport, MI R+30
- South Rockwood, MI R+34
- Oldport, MI R+37
- Flat Rock, MI R+12
- West Sumpter, MI R+17
- Maybee, MI R+41
- Monroe, MI R+17
Cities with Similar Populations
- Innsbrook, VA D+24
- Walnutport, PA R+33
- Salem, MO R+60
- Devon, PA D+32
- Maplewood, MO D+57
- Solvang, CA D+13
- Fort Stewart, GA R+7
- Castle Hayne, NC R+13
- Dock Junction, GA Even
- Seaside, OR D+16
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.