Musselshell County is a Republican stronghold. About 18% of voters here vote Democratic and 82% Republican.
About 77% of adults in Musselshell County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Musselshell County, ~14% vote Democratic, ~64% Republican, and ~22% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Musselshell County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Musselshell County leans more Republican than 1 of 3 neighbors.
Musselshell County runs about 44 points more Republican than Montana as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Musselshell County. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+74) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+59), a spread of about 15 points.
Why Musselshell County leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Musselshell County. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; Musselshell County, MT sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Musselshell County looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 85% of households in Musselshell County own their home, about 8 points above the Montana average of 77%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Golden Valley County, MT R+69
- Petroleum County, MT R+69
- Yellowstone County, MT R+25
- Treasure County, MT R+66
- Fergus County, MT R+50
- Wheatland County, MT R+66
- Stillwater County, MT R+57
- Big Horn County, MT Even
- Sweet Grass County, MT R+54
- Carbon County, MT R+38
Counties with Similar Populations
- Calhoun County, AR R+61
- Scotland County, MO R+64
- Custer County, CO R+33
- Putnam County, MO R+68
- Crane County, TX R+48
- Republic County, KS R+62
- Ringgold County, IA R+50
- Washington County, CO R+70
- Furnas County, NE R+70
- Carlisle County, KY R+69
All Local Stats
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Montana 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.