Forest County leans heavily Republican by roughly 32 points: about 34% of voters vote Democratic and 66% Republican.
About 68% of adults in Forest County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Forest County, ~23% vote Democratic, ~45% Republican, and ~32% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Forest County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Forest County leans more Republican than 6 of 8 neighbors.
Forest County runs about 32 points more Republican than Wisconsin as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Forest County. The north side is the most Republican-leaning (R+49) and the southwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+19), a spread of about 29 points.
Why Forest 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 Forest County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 5% of residents in Forest County live in densely developed areas, about 19 points below the Wisconsin average of 24%. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Forest County sits in the bottom quarter (about 16%, below 82% of counties).
Developed land and Republican lean
Places with a rural land-use pattern tend to lean Republican; Forest County, WI sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Developed land does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Forest County looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 82% of households in Forest County own their home, about 7 points above the U.S. average of 75%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Langlade County, WI R+35
- Florence County, WI R+41
- Oneida County, WI R+18
- Iron County, MI R+24
- Dickinson County, MI R+25
- Vilas County, WI R+18
- Menominee County, WI D+59
- Lincoln County, WI R+29
- Marinette County, WI R+34
- Shawano County, WI R+35
Counties with Similar Populations
- Terrell County, GA D+18
- Jones County, NC R+24
- Johnson County, GA R+39
- Pratt County, KS R+53
- Somervell County, TX R+67
- Montmorency County, MI R+42
- McLean County, KY R+58
- Seminole County, GA R+30
- Claiborne County, MS D+61
- Davis County, IA R+59
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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.