Merrick County is a Republican stronghold. About 20% of voters here vote Democratic and 80% Republican.
About 84% of adults in Merrick County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Merrick County, ~17% vote Democratic, ~67% Republican, and ~16% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Merrick County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Merrick County leans more Republican than 5 of 14 neighbors.
Merrick County runs about 40 points more Republican than Nebraska as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Merrick County. The north side is the most Republican-leaning (R+74) and the southeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+49), a spread of about 25 points.
Why Merrick 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 Merrick County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 82% of residents in Merrick County drive to work alone, about 8 points above the U.S. average of 74%. A high white share with below-average college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Merrick County fits that profile on both counts.
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; Merrick County, NE sits below the national average on this measure.
Why turnout in Merrick County looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 82% of households in Merrick County own their home, about 7 points above the U.S. average of 75%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Hamilton County, NE R+61
- Nance County, NE R+60
- Hall County, NE R+26
- Howard County, NE R+64
- Polk County, NE R+62
- York County, NE R+52
- Boone County, NE R+64
- Greeley County, NE R+68
- Clay County, NE R+64
- Platte County, NE R+48
Counties with Similar Populations
- Kane County, UT R+59
- Franklin County, MS R+35
- Pleasants County, WV R+59
- Coleman County, TX R+63
- Washakie County, WY R+64
- Lincoln County, GA R+37
- Benton County, MS R+26
- Decatur County, IA R+44
- Yoakum County, TX R+59
- McCulloch County, TX R+56
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Nebraska 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.