Central leans heavily Democratic by roughly 30 points: about 65% of voters vote Democratic and 35% Republican.
About 80% of adults in Central typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Central, ~52% vote Democratic, ~28% Republican, and ~20% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Central compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Central leans more Democratic than 4 of 5 neighbors.
Central runs about 51 points more Democratic than Montana as a whole. Montana leans Republican overall, while Central is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Central. The south side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+48) and the east side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+18), a spread of about 30 points.
Why Central leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per neighborhood to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Central, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Central votes against the grain of Montana. Montana leans Republican overall, while Central runs about 51 points more Democratic.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Central, Helena, MT sits in the top quarter 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 Central looks the way it does
Turnout in Central sits close to the national pattern. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Tarpon River, Fort Lauderdale, FL D+4
- Durrs Homeowners, Fort Lauderdale, FL D+80
- Stanley-Aley, Wichita, KS R+5
- Little Blue Valley, Kansas City, MO Even
- Chabot Park, Oakland, CA D+67
- Burke Acres, Kalamazoo, MI D+29
- Grantley, York, PA D+23
- Webster, Oakland, CA D+60
- Ghent, Norfolk, VA D+49
- Hobart Circle Historic District, Troy, OH R+23
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Montana 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.