Muskegon leans slightly Democratic by roughly 6 points: about 53% of voters vote Democratic and 47% Republican.
About 75% of adults in Muskegon typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Muskegon, ~40% vote Democratic, ~35% Republican, and ~25% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Muskegon compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Muskegon leans more Democratic than 44 of 46 neighbors.
Muskegon runs about 8 points more Democratic than Michigan as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Muskegon. The south side runs the most Democratic (D+44) and the northwest side runs the most Republican (R+19), a spread of about 63 points.
Why Muskegon 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 Muskegon, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 67% of residents in Muskegon live in densely developed areas, about 31 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 37% of adults in Muskegon have never been married, above 90% of cities.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Muskegon, MI sits in the top 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 Muskegon looks the way it does
Turnout in Muskegon sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Muskegon Heights, MI D+77
- North Muskegon, MI Even
- Roosevelt Park, MI D+7
- Norton Shores, MI R+2
- Wolf Lake, MI R+23
- Fruitport, MI R+22
- Twin Lake, MI R+26
- Sullivan, MI R+39
- Lakewood Club, MI R+25
- Ferrysburg, MI R+5
Cities with Similar Populations
- Canoga Park, CA D+27
- Lawrence, MA D+17
- Jonesboro, AR R+18
- Snellville, GA D+42
- Waukesha, WI R+7
- Wesley Chapel, FL R+6
- Atascocita, TX Even
- St. Cloud, FL R+21
- Plantation, FL D+15
- Mooresville, NC R+18
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Michigan Department 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.