Deer Lodge County leans Republican by roughly 18 points: about 41% of voters vote Democratic and 59% Republican.
About 74% of adults in Deer Lodge County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Deer Lodge County, ~30% vote Democratic, ~44% Republican, and ~26% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Deer Lodge County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Deer Lodge County leans more Republican than 1 of 4 neighbors.
Politically, Deer Lodge County sits close to the rest of Montana.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Deer Lodge County. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+41) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+11), a spread of about 30 points.
Why Deer Lodge 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 Deer Lodge County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Deer Lodge County votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 50%, far above the Montana average of 13%). Here an older population outweighs the Democratic lean that density usually predicts.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Deer Lodge County, MT 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 Deer Lodge County looks the way it does
Turnout in Deer Lodge County sits close to the national pattern. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Silver Bow County, MT Even
- Powell County, MT R+48
- Granite County, MT R+38
- Jefferson County, MT R+38
- Lewis and Clark County, MT R+7
- Ravalli County, MT R+43
- Beaverhead County, MT R+42
- Broadwater County, MT R+54
- Madison County, MT R+46
- Missoula County, MT D+16
Counties with Similar Populations
- Pipestone County, MN R+48
- Rice County, KS R+54
- Hamilton County, NE R+61
- Latimer County, OK R+66
- Clear Creek County, CO D+21
- Emmet County, IA R+37
- Cheyenne County, NE R+58
- Charles Mix County, SD R+39
- Howard County, IA R+35
- Beaverhead County, MT R+42
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.