McDonald is a Republican stronghold. About 19% of voters here vote Democratic and 81% Republican.
About 71% of adults in McDonald typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in McDonald, ~13% vote Democratic, ~57% Republican, and ~30% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How McDonald compares
Among cities within 25 miles, McDonald leans more Republican than 29 of 65 neighbors.
McDonald runs about 33 points more Republican than Tennessee as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within McDonald. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+73) and the southwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+49), a spread of about 23 points.
Why McDonald leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per city to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for McDonald, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with many family households vote Republican. About 80% of households in McDonald are family households, about 13 points above the U.S. average of 67%.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; McDonald, TN sits below the national average on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in McDonald looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 90% of households in McDonald own their home, about 13 points above the Tennessee average of 77%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Mineral Park, TN R+55
- Pine Hill, TN R+74
- South Cleveland, TN R+58
- Ooltewah, TN R+33
- Collegedale, TN R+28
- Harrison, TN R+43
- Cleveland, TN R+44
- Apison, TN R+42
- Lakesite, TN R+47
- Birchwood, TN R+67
Cities with Similar Populations
- Ocean View, NJ R+24
- Eclectic, AL R+68
- Livonia, NY R+22
- Paradise, PA R+53
- Clinton, AR R+63
- Robbins, NC R+50
- St. Augustine South, FL R+23
- Sea Cliff, NY D+29
- Bolton, MA D+28
- Brusly, LA R+17
All Local Stats
Home Services
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of 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.