Iron County leans Republican by roughly 24 points: about 38% of voters vote Democratic and 62% Republican.
About 90% of adults in Iron County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Iron County, ~34% vote Democratic, ~56% Republican, and ~10% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Iron County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Iron County leans more Republican than 2 of 5 neighbors.
Iron County runs about 23 points more Republican than Michigan as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Iron County. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+33) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+21), a spread of about 12 points.
Why Iron County leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Iron County. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
High-school completion, developed land, and voter turnout
Places that combine high-school-completion-heavy adults and a rural land-use pattern tend to turn out at a higher rate, as Iron County, MI does.
Why turnout in Iron County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Iron 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%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 84% of households in Iron County own their home, above 93% of counties. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 95% of adults in Iron County have completed high school, above 89% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Florence County, WI R+41
- Dickinson County, MI R+25
- Forest County, WI R+33
- Baraga County, MI R+14
- Vilas County, WI R+18
- Oneida County, WI R+18
- Ontonagon County, MI R+26
- Marquette County, MI Even
- Langlade County, WI R+35
- Marinette County, WI R+34
Counties with Similar Populations
- Teton County, ID R+21
- Barton County, MO R+65
- Magoffin County, KY R+67
- Ward County, TX R+56
- Jackson County, TN R+65
- Trousdale County, TN R+59
- Ramsey County, ND R+30
- Cherokee County, IA R+42
- Conecuh County, AL R+7
- Red River County, TX R+51
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.