Highlands County leans heavily Republican by roughly 34 points: about 33% of voters vote Democratic and 67% Republican.
About 72% of adults in Highlands County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Highlands County, ~24% vote Democratic, ~48% Republican, and ~28% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Highlands County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Highlands County leans more Republican than 1 of 5 neighbors.
Highlands County runs about 20 points more Republican than Florida as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Highlands County. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+62) and the northwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+20), a spread of about 42 points.
Why Highlands 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 Highlands County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Highlands County votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 54%, about 18 points above the U.S. average of 36%). Here an older population outweighs the Democratic lean that density usually predicts.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Highlands County, FL sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in Highlands County looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Highlands County is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Hardee County, FL R+46
- DeSoto County, FL R+35
- Okeechobee County, FL R+46
- Glades County, FL R+47
- Polk County, FL R+18
- Hendry County, FL R+26
- Charlotte County, FL R+33
- Osceola County, FL Even
- Sarasota County, FL R+17
- Indian River County, FL R+21
Counties with Similar Populations
- Maury County, TN R+39
- Craven County, NC R+15
- Columbiana County, OH R+45
- Laramie County, WY R+23
- DeKalb County, IL D+3
- Allen County, OH R+32
- Nevada County, CA D+11
- Garland County, AR R+33
- Roanoke City, VA D+25
- Hunt County, TX R+49
All Local Stats
Home Services
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Florida Division of 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.