Manitowoc County leans Republican by roughly 24 points: about 38% of voters vote Democratic and 62% Republican.
About 80% of adults in Manitowoc County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Manitowoc County, ~30% vote Democratic, ~50% Republican, and ~20% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Manitowoc County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Manitowoc County leans more Republican than 6 of 7 neighbors.
Manitowoc County runs about 23 points more Republican than Wisconsin as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Manitowoc County. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+49) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+5), a spread of about 44 points.
Why Manitowoc 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 Manitowoc County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Manitowoc County votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 48%, well above the Wisconsin average of 24%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Manitowoc County, WI sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in Manitowoc County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Manitowoc 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%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Sheboygan County, WI R+15
- Calumet County, WI R+23
- Kewaunee County, WI R+39
- Brown County, WI R+4
- Outagamie County, WI R+13
- Winnebago County, WI R+3
- Fond du Lac County, WI R+23
- Ozaukee County, WI R+7
- Washington County, WI R+28
- Oconto County, WI R+40
Counties with Similar Populations
- Yuba County, CA R+16
- Bulloch County, GA R+10
- Payne County, OK R+18
- Cape Girardeau County, MO R+34
- Wagoner County, OK R+40
- Leavenworth County, KS R+20
- Caldwell County, NC R+47
- Lewis County, WA R+29
- Talladega County, AL R+27
- Henderson County, TX R+60
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Wisconsin Elections Commission, 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.