Hidalgo County is a true toss-up. About 49% of voters here vote Democratic and 51% Republican.
About 43% of adults in Hidalgo County typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Hidalgo County, ~21% vote Democratic, ~22% Republican, and ~57% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Hidalgo County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Hidalgo County sits roughly in the middle of the political spectrum, with 0 neighbors leaning further in the place's direction and 3 leaning the other way.
Hidalgo County runs about 12 points more Democratic than Texas as a whole.
Why Hidalgo County leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Hidalgo County. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with low colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a lower rate; Hidalgo County, TX 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 Hidalgo County looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Hidalgo County 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 43%, about 11 points below the Texas average of 54%. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 69% of adults in Hidalgo County have completed high school, in the bottom fraction of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Willacy County, TX R+7
- Cameron County, TX R+2
- Starr County, TX R+7
- Kenedy County, TX R+44
- Brooks County, TX D+7
- Jim Hogg County, TX R+2
- Zapata County, TX R+7
- Kleberg County, TX R+6
- Duval County, TX R+10
- Jim Wells County, TX R+14
Counties with Similar Populations
- San Francisco County, CA D+61
- El Paso County, TX D+15
- Essex County, NJ D+48
- Middlesex County, NJ D+11
- Worcester County, MA D+12
- Macomb County, MI R+10
- Montgomery County, PA D+21
- Baltimore County, MD D+28
- Ventura County, CA D+16
- Denton County, TX R+7
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Texas Secretary of State, Elections Division, 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.