Grand Rapids leans heavily Republican by roughly 36 points: about 32% of voters vote Democratic and 68% Republican.
About 80% of adults in Grand Rapids typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Grand Rapids, ~26% vote Democratic, ~54% Republican, and ~20% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Grand Rapids compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Grand Rapids leans more Republican than 20 of 91 neighbors.
Grand Rapids runs about 24 points more Republican than Ohio as a whole.
Why Grand Rapids leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Grand Rapids. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
High-school completion, uninsured rate, and voter turnout
Places that combine high-school-completion-heavy adults and a low uninsured rate tend to turn out at a higher rate, as Grand Rapids, OH does.
Why turnout in Grand Rapids looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Grand Rapids 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 69%, about 9 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 96% of adults in Grand Rapids have completed high school, above 82% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Neapolis, OH R+39
- Texas, OH R+60
- Tontogany, OH R+41
- McClure, OH R+57
- Weston, OH R+44
- Whitehouse, OH R+25
- Liberty Center, OH R+56
- Waterville, OH R+16
- Milton Center, OH R+52
- Haskins, OH R+28
Cities with Similar Populations
- Bayou La Batre, AL R+55
- Ghent, NY D+9
- Troy, MT R+53
- Spartansburg, PA R+60
- Juliff, TX D+48
- Gilbertsville, KY R+57
- Pierce, NE R+69
- Elkhart Lake, WI R+29
- Shelbyville, MI R+36
- Pine, CO R+4
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Ohio 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.