Onalaska leans slightly Democratic by roughly 6 points: about 53% of voters vote Democratic and 47% Republican.
About 92% of adults in Onalaska typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Onalaska, ~49% vote Democratic, ~43% Republican, and ~8% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Onalaska compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Onalaska leans more Democratic than 51 of 53 neighbors.
Onalaska runs about 6 points more Democratic than Wisconsin as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Onalaska. The west side runs the most Democratic (D+16) and the northwest side runs the most Republican (Even), a spread of about 17 points.
Why Onalaska 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 Onalaska, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 71% of residents in Onalaska live in densely developed areas, about 35 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Onalaska sits in the top quarter (about 41%, above 88% of cities).
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Onalaska, WI sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Onalaska looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Onalaska 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 73%, about 13 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 98% of adults in Onalaska have completed high school, above 95% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- French Island, WI R+2
- Holmen, WI R+6
- La Crosse, WI D+20
- La Crescent, MN R+4
- West Salem, WI R+5
- Dakota, MN R+17
- New Amsterdam, WI R+16
- Stevenstown, WI R+22
- Nodine, MN R+18
- Shelby, WI R+4
Cities with Similar Populations
- Inverness, FL R+42
- Hingham, MA D+28
- Flat Rock, MI R+12
- Eastmont, WA D+7
- Fountain Hills, AZ R+21
- Washington, MI R+36
- Millbrae, CA D+40
- Biddeford, ME D+12
- Beckley, WV R+19
- Loves Park, IL R+3
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Wisconsin Elections Commission, 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.