Flathead County leans heavily Republican by roughly 32 points: about 34% of voters vote Democratic and 66% Republican.
About 84% of adults in Flathead County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Flathead County, ~29% vote Democratic, ~55% Republican, and ~16% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Flathead County compares
Flathead County runs about 12 points more Republican than Montana as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Flathead County. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+53) and the northwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+6), a spread of about 47 points.
Why Flathead County leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Flathead County. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Food insecurity and voter turnout
Places with low food insecurity tend to turn out at a higher rate; Flathead County, MT sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Food insecurity does not directly drive turnout; it reflects economic hardship, which lines up with lower voting.
Why turnout in Flathead County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Flathead 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 96% of adults in Flathead County have completed high school, above 95% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Lake County, MT R+21
- Lincoln County, MT R+50
- Sanders County, MT R+54
- Glacier County, MT D+32
- Mineral County, MT R+53
- Missoula County, MT D+16
- Pondera County, MT R+35
- Boundary County, ID R+64
- Shoshone County, ID R+43
- Bonner County, ID R+44
Counties with Similar Populations
- Fond du Lac County, WI R+23
- Franklin County, MO R+48
- Macon County, IL R+8
- Bay County, MI R+18
- Adams County, PA R+35
- Cecil County, MD R+29
- Wicomico County, MD D+6
- Limestone County, AL R+45
- Etowah County, AL R+49
- Daviess County, KY R+31
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.