Houghton County is a true toss-up. About 52% of voters here vote Democratic and 48% Republican.
About 79% of adults in Houghton County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Houghton County, ~41% vote Democratic, ~38% Republican, and ~21% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Houghton County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Houghton County is the most Democratic-leaning.
Houghton County runs about 6 points more Democratic than Michigan as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Houghton County. The northwest side is the most split-leaning (R+20) and the south side is the least split-leaning (R+3), a spread of about 18 points.
Why Houghton County leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Houghton County. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Houghton County, MI sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Houghton County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Houghton County 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 67%, about 7 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 94% of adults in Houghton County have completed high school, above 86% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Keweenaw County, MI Even
- Baraga County, MI R+14
- Ontonagon County, MI R+26
- Marquette County, MI Even
- Iron County, MI R+24
- Gogebic County, MI R+14
- Florence County, WI R+41
- Vilas County, WI R+18
- Dickinson County, MI R+25
- Iron County, WI R+27
Counties with Similar Populations
- Addison County, VT D+23
- Boone County, AR R+58
- Bennington County, VT D+17
- Essex County, NY R+5
- Steele County, MN R+22
- Clinton County, PA R+46
- Clarion County, PA R+50
- Yadkin County, NC R+61
- Natchitoches Parish, LA R+13
- Talbot County, MD Even
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Michigan Department 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.