McHenry County is a Republican stronghold. About 19% of voters here vote Democratic and 81% Republican.
About 71% of adults in McHenry County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in McHenry County, ~14% vote Democratic, ~57% Republican, and ~29% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How McHenry County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, McHenry County leans more Republican than 3 of 4 neighbors.
McHenry County runs about 25 points more Republican than North Dakota as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within McHenry County. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+72) and the southeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+55), a spread of about 18 points.
Why McHenry 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 McHenry County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas with a high white share vote Republican. McHenry County sits in the bottom quarter on density and about 94% of residents are non-Hispanic white, about 7 points above the North Dakota average of 87%.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; McHenry County, ND sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in McHenry County looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 81% of households in McHenry County own their home, about 6 points above the U.S. average of 75%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Ward County, ND R+32
- Pierce County, ND R+47
- Bottineau County, ND R+50
- Sheridan County, ND R+69
- McLean County, ND R+51
- Renville County, ND R+65
- Wells County, ND R+58
- Rolette County, ND D+33
- Benson County, ND D+2
- Towner County, ND R+45
Counties with Similar Populations
- Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, AK D+17
- Luce County, MI R+32
- Jefferson County, OK R+68
- Walworth County, SD R+56
- Stewart County, GA D+12
- Boone County, NE R+64
- Hartley County, TX R+76
- Atchison County, MO R+59
- Morris County, KS R+52
- Stark County, IL R+47
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from North 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.