Phelps County is a Republican stronghold. About 21% of voters here vote Democratic and 79% Republican.
About 75% of adults in Phelps County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Phelps County, ~16% vote Democratic, ~59% Republican, and ~25% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Phelps County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Phelps County leans more Republican than 2 of 8 neighbors.
Phelps County runs about 38 points more Republican than Nebraska as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Phelps County. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+78) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+50), a spread of about 28 points.
Why Phelps 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 Phelps County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 84% of residents in Phelps County drive to work alone, about 10 points above the U.S. average of 74%.
Food insecurity and voter turnout
Places with low food insecurity tend to turn out at a higher rate; Phelps County, NE sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Food insecurity does not directly drive turnout; it reflects economic hardship, which lines up with lower voting.
Why turnout in Phelps County looks the way it does
Turnout in Phelps County 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 Counties
- Kearney County, NE R+59
- Harlan County, NE R+69
- Gosper County, NE R+72
- Buffalo County, NE R+36
- Franklin County, NE R+69
- Furnas County, NE R+70
- Dawson County, NE R+35
- Phillips County, KS R+68
- Norton County, KS R+71
- Webster County, NE R+69
Counties with Similar Populations
- Stillwater County, MT R+57
- Kemper County, MS D+23
- Crittenden County, KY R+68
- Mitchell County, TX R+50
- Dawson County, MT R+55
- Palo Alto County, IA R+44
- Turner County, GA R+19
- Richmond County, VA R+33
- Cuming County, NE R+63
- Catahoula Parish, LA R+50
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Nebraska 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.