Columbus leans slightly Democratic by roughly 12 points: about 56% of voters vote Democratic and 44% Republican.
About 63% of adults in Columbus typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Columbus, ~35% vote Democratic, ~28% Republican, and ~37% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Columbus compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Columbus leans more Democratic than 32 of 47 neighbors.
Columbus runs about 34 points more Democratic than Mississippi as a whole. Mississippi leans Republican overall, while Columbus is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Columbus. The south side runs the most Democratic (D+64) and the northeast side runs the most Republican (R+31), a spread of about 95 points.
Why Columbus 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 Columbus, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Density combined with diversity predicts Democratic voting. Non-Hispanic white share in Columbus is about 45%, about 27 points below the U.S. average of 72%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 38% of adults in Columbus have never been married, above 92% of cities. Columbus runs against the grain of Mississippi, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Columbus, MS sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Columbus looks the way it does
Turnout in Columbus 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
- Steens, MS R+53
- Forest, AL R+52
- Columbus AFB, MS R+29
- Kolola Springs, MS R+51
- Ethelsville, AL R+33
- Caledonia, MS R+70
- Tibbee, MS D+7
- Mayhew, MS D+32
- Cliftonville, MS D+60
- Artesia, MS D+38
Cities with Similar Populations
- North Bethesda, MD D+58
- Seguin, TX R+26
- Brunswick, OH R+21
- Hackensack, NJ D+36
- Hanover, PA R+29
- Thomasville, NC R+28
- Elizabethtown, KY R+25
- Georgetown, KY R+25
- Post Falls, ID R+55
- Bessemer, AL D+33
All Local Stats
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Mississippi 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.