National City leans heavily Republican by roughly 38 points: about 31% of voters vote Democratic and 69% Republican.
About 81% of adults in National City typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in National City, ~25% vote Democratic, ~56% Republican, and ~19% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How National City compares
Among cities within 25 miles, National City leans more Republican than 8 of 25 neighbors.
National City runs about 37 points more Republican than Michigan as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within National City. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+46) and the north side is the least Republican-leaning (R+30), a spread of about 16 points.
Why National City 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 National City, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 86% of residents in National City drive to work alone, about 12 points above the U.S. average of 74%. A high white share with below-average college attainment predicts Republican voting, and National City fits that profile on both counts.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; National City, MI sits above the national average on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in National City looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. National City is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 66%, about 5 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 92% of households in National City own their home, about 17 points above the U.S. average of 75%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- White Rock, MI R+42
- Tawas City, MI R+30
- Whittemore, MI R+45
- Hale, MI R+35
- East Tawas, MI R+21
- Turner, MI R+44
- Long Lake, MI R+36
- Foote Site Village, MI R+35
- Twining, MI R+45
- Kurtz, MI R+42
Cities with Similar Populations
- Panguitch, UT R+62
- Cambria, WI R+36
- Bennet, NE R+40
- Grindstone, PA R+44
- Plainfield, WI R+35
- Galway, NY R+23
- New Pekin, IN R+58
- Drexel, NC R+38
- Coyle, OK R+54
- Laguna Park, TX R+65
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.