Douglas County is a true toss-up. About 49% of voters here vote Democratic and 51% Republican.
About 78% of adults in Douglas County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Douglas County, ~38% vote Democratic, ~40% Republican, and ~22% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Douglas County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Douglas County sits roughly in the middle of the political spectrum, with 2 neighbors leaning further in the place's direction and 2 leaning the other way.
Politically, Douglas County sits close to the rest of Wisconsin.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Douglas County. The northwest side runs the most Democratic (D+11) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (R+29), a spread of about 39 points.
Why Douglas County leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Douglas County. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Douglas County, WI sits in the top tenth 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 Douglas County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Douglas County 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 66%, about 6 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 94% of adults in Douglas County have completed high school, above 87% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Carlton County, MN R+12
- St. Louis County, MN D+12
- Bayfield County, WI D+6
- Lake County, MN R+5
- Washburn County, WI R+31
- Sawyer County, WI R+11
- Burnett County, WI R+32
- Pine County, MN R+37
- Ashland County, WI Even
- Aitkin County, MN R+33
Counties with Similar Populations
- Callaway County, MO R+43
- Delaware County, NY R+17
- Kendall County, TX R+49
- Kittitas County, WA R+8
- Holmes County, OH R+72
- Shenandoah County, VA R+44
- Ravalli County, MT R+43
- Lawrence County, TN R+68
- Barren County, KY R+50
- Jefferson County, PA R+55
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Wisconsin Elections Commission, 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.