Nez Perce County leans heavily Republican by roughly 36 points: about 32% of voters vote Democratic and 68% Republican.
About 76% of adults in Nez Perce County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Nez Perce County, ~24% vote Democratic, ~52% Republican, and ~24% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Nez Perce County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Nez Perce County leans more Republican than 3 of 8 neighbors.
Politically, Nez Perce County sits close to the rest of Idaho.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Nez Perce County. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+44) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+12), a spread of about 32 points.
Why Nez Perce 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 Nez Perce County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Nez Perce County votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 67%, far above the Idaho average of 18%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Nez Perce County, ID sits in the top quarter nationally 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 Nez Perce County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Nez Perce County 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 6 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 94% of adults in Nez Perce County have completed high school, above 80% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Asotin County, WA R+29
- Latah County, ID R+4
- Garfield County, WA R+58
- Whitman County, WA D+16
- Lewis County, ID R+60
- Clearwater County, ID R+64
- Columbia County, WA R+51
- Idaho County, ID R+64
- Benewah County, ID R+60
- Wallowa County, OR R+20
Counties with Similar Populations
- Okanogan County, WA R+16
- Butler County, MO R+52
- Crawford County, OH R+51
- Clinton County, OH R+53
- Fayette County, TN R+33
- Pierce County, WI R+19
- Sweetwater County, WY R+53
- Marinette County, WI R+34
- Summit County, UT D+10
- Oconee County, GA R+41
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Idaho 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.