Groton is a Republican stronghold. About 24% of voters here vote Democratic and 76% Republican.
About 76% of adults in Groton typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Groton, ~18% vote Democratic, ~57% Republican, and ~25% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Groton compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Groton leans more Republican than 10 of 24 neighbors.
Groton runs about 23 points more Republican than South Dakota as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Groton. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+61) and the north side is the least Republican-leaning (R+50), a spread of about 11 points.
Why Groton leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per city to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Groton, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 88% of residents in Groton drive to work alone, about 14 points above the U.S. average of 74%.
Park access and Republican lean
Places with low park coverage tend to lean Republican; Groton, SD sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Park access does not change how people vote; it tends to track denser, higher-income areas.
Why turnout in Groton looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Groton 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 73%, about 13 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 96% of adults in Groton have completed high school, above 81% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- James, SD R+60
- Ferney, SD R+61
- Andover, SD R+42
- Tacoma Park, SD R+58
- Bath, SD R+57
- Huffton, SD R+59
- Verdon, SD R+60
- Stratford, SD R+61
- Pierpont, SD R+40
Cities with Similar Populations
- Great Valley, NY R+41
- Limestone, OK R+58
- Lake Murray of Richland, SC R+30
- West Bay, FL R+41
- Morristown, MN R+41
- Three Rivers, NY D+7
- Manly, IA R+34
- Plains, GA R+5
- Ansted, WV R+59
- Marathon City, WI R+24
All Local Stats
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from South Dakota 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.