Jones County is a Republican stronghold. About 14% of voters here vote Democratic and 86% Republican.
About 48% of adults in Jones County typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Jones County, ~7% vote Democratic, ~41% Republican, and ~52% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Jones County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Jones County is the most Republican-leaning.
Jones County runs about 43 points more Republican than South Dakota as a whole.
Why Jones 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 Jones County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 2% of residents in Jones County live in densely developed areas, about 8 points below the South Dakota average of 9%.
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; Jones County, SD sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Jones County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Jones 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 70%, about 10 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 93% of adults in Jones County have completed high school, above 77% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Mellette County, SD R+25
- Stanley County, SD R+49
- Hughes County, SD R+34
- Todd County, SD D+57
- Haakon County, SD R+71
- Lyman County, SD R+5
- Jackson County, SD R+9
- Tripp County, SD R+58
- Sully County, SD R+62
- Buffalo County, SD D+24
Counties with Similar Populations
- Daggett County, UT R+59
- Wibaux County, MT R+75
- Billings County, ND R+67
- Mineral County, CO R+5
- Hayes County, NE R+87
- Bristol Bay Borough, AK Even
- Roberts County, TX R+90
- Golden Valley County, MT R+69
- Clark County, ID R+65
- Hinsdale County, CO R+6
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from South Dakota Secretary 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.