Irene is a Republican stronghold. About 14% of voters here vote Democratic and 86% Republican.
About 66% of adults in Irene typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Irene, ~9% vote Democratic, ~57% Republican, and ~34% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Irene compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Irene leans more Republican than 52 of 63 neighbors.
Irene runs about 59 points more Republican than Texas as a whole.
Why Irene 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 Irene, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 85% of residents in Irene drive to work alone, about 11 points above the U.S. average of 74%. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 76% of households in Irene are family households, above 79% of cities.
Park access and Republican lean
Places with low park coverage tend to lean Republican; Irene, TX sits below the national average on this measure. Park access does not change how people vote; it tends to track denser, higher-income areas.
Why turnout in Irene looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Irene 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 Cities
- Malone, TX R+69
- Brandon, TX R+74
- Mertens, TX R+70
- Bynum, TX R+74
- Pelham, TX R+67
- Frost, TX R+71
- Lone Cedar, TX R+72
- Penelope, TX R+69
- Spring Hill, TX R+64
- Dresden, TX R+71
Cities with Similar Populations
- Twin Branch, WV R+70
- Ekwok, AK D+27
- Stringtown, CO D+35
- Star Lake, WI R+19
- South Lynchburg, SC D+49
- Wilmeth, TX R+81
- Ayr, ND R+44
- West Meredith, NY R+21
- Fayette, MI R+26
- Bairdstown, OH R+49
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.