Leelanau County is a true toss-up. About 51% of voters here vote Democratic and 49% Republican.
About 91% of adults in Leelanau County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Leelanau County, ~46% vote Democratic, ~45% Republican, and ~9% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Leelanau County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Leelanau County sits roughly in the middle of the political spectrum, with 8 neighbors leaning further in the place's direction and 0 leaning the other way.
Politically, Leelanau County sits close to the rest of Michigan.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Leelanau County. The northeast side runs the most Democratic (D+13) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (Even), a spread of about 14 points.
Why Leelanau County leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Leelanau County. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Leelanau County, MI sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in Leelanau County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Leelanau 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 75%, about 15 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 92% of households in Leelanau County own their home, about 17 points above the U.S. average of 75%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 97% of adults in Leelanau County have completed high school, in the top fraction of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Grand Traverse County, MI R+3
- Benzie County, MI R+10
- Antrim County, MI R+21
- Kalkaska County, MI R+42
- Charlevoix County, MI R+19
- Wexford County, MI R+33
- Manistee County, MI R+18
- Missaukee County, MI R+49
- Otsego County, MI R+28
- Emmet County, MI R+10
Counties with Similar Populations
- Bibb County, AL R+57
- Nobles County, MN R+28
- Asotin County, WA R+29
- Saunders County, NE R+46
- Sumner County, KS R+50
- Meigs County, OH R+58
- Waynesboro City, VA R+9
- Beckham County, OK R+67
- Mahaska County, IA R+38
- Lee County, VA R+64
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.