Heart Butte is a Democratic stronghold. About 82% of voters here vote Democratic and 18% Republican.
About 54% of adults in Heart Butte typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Heart Butte, ~44% vote Democratic, ~10% Republican, and ~46% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Heart Butte compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Heart Butte leans more Democratic than 4 of 5 neighbors.
Heart Butte runs about 83 points more Democratic than Montana as a whole. Montana leans Republican overall, while Heart Butte is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Heart Butte. The south side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+67) and the west side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+50), a spread of about 17 points.
Why Heart Butte 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 Heart Butte, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Heart Butte votes against the grain of Montana. Montana leans Republican overall, while Heart Butte runs about 83 points more Democratic. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 52% of adults in Heart Butte have never been married, above 98% of cities.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with low colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a lower rate; Heart Butte, MT sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in Heart Butte looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Heart Butte is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 49%, about 13 points below the Montana average of 62%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 39% of households in Heart Butte rent, compared to around 23% in nearby cities. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 28% of adults in Heart Butte report food insecurity, above 94% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Dupuyer, MT R+33
- Browning, MT D+63
- East Glacier Park, MT D+54
- Starr School, MT D+64
- Valier, MT R+50
- Summit, MT R+18
- Little Browning, MT D+71
- Cut Bank, MT R+24
- Pendroy, MT R+60
- Bynum, MT R+59
Cities with Similar Populations
- Dighton, MI R+45
- Monroe Center, IL R+41
- Gays Mills, WI R+28
- Breezewood, PA R+74
- Jamaica Beach, TX R+36
- Unityville, PA R+64
- Langley, OK R+58
- Plankinton, SD R+58
- Pintada, NM R+3
- Eureka, NV R+67
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.