Columbus is a Republican stronghold. About 22% of voters here vote Democratic and 78% Republican.
About 91% of adults in Columbus typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Columbus, ~20% vote Democratic, ~71% Republican, and ~9% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Columbus compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Columbus leans more Republican than 6 of 16 neighbors.
Columbus runs about 35 points more Republican than Montana as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Columbus. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+65) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+45), a spread of about 20 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.
Columbus votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 34%, well above the Montana average of 13%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here.
Food insecurity and voter turnout
Places with low food insecurity tend to turn out at a higher rate; Columbus, MT sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Food insecurity does not directly drive turnout; it reflects economic hardship, which lines up with lower voting.
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
- Reed Point, MT R+68
- Absarokee, MT R+49
- Boyd, MT R+60
- Park City, MT R+66
- Joliet, MT R+57
- Rockvale, MT R+67
- Roberts, MT R+43
- Silesia, MT R+64
- Molt, MT R+64
- Edgar, MT R+62
Cities with Similar Populations
- Buffalo Gap, TX R+71
- Tahoka, TX R+53
- Okemah, OK R+51
- Murchison, TX R+75
- Flora, IN R+51
- Richmond, UT R+67
- Curtice, OH R+35
- Mount Oliver, PA D+41
- Lovell, WY R+70
- Mescalero, NM D+42
All Local Stats
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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.