Lyman County is a true toss-up. About 48% of voters here vote Democratic and 52% Republican.
About 54% of adults in Lyman County typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Lyman County, ~26% vote Democratic, ~28% Republican, and ~46% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Lyman County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Lyman County leans more Republican than 1 of 7 neighbors.
Lyman County runs about 24 points more Democratic than South Dakota as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Lyman County. The northeast side runs the most Democratic (D+71) and the south side runs the most Republican (R+66), a spread of about 138 points.
Why Lyman County leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Lyman County. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; Lyman County, SD sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in Lyman County looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 38% of households in Lyman County rent, about 13 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Buffalo County, SD D+24
- Brule County, SD R+52
- Hyde County, SD R+60
- Hughes County, SD R+34
- Tripp County, SD R+58
- Stanley County, SD R+49
- Jones County, SD R+72
- Hand County, SD R+62
- Sully County, SD R+62
- Gregory County, SD R+65
Counties with Similar Populations
- Adams County, IA R+46
- Cavalier County, ND R+48
- Echols County, GA R+66
- Knox County, MO R+66
- Norton City, VA R+39
- Ellis County, OK R+77
- Sweet Grass County, MT R+54
- Lake of the Woods County, MN R+40
- Pope County, IL R+60
- Fisher County, TX R+67
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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.