Pocatello leans Republican by roughly 18 points: about 41% of voters vote Democratic and 59% Republican.
About 67% of adults in Pocatello typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Pocatello, ~28% vote Democratic, ~40% Republican, and ~32% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Pocatello compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Pocatello leans more Republican than 2 of 23 neighbors.
Pocatello runs about 18 points more Democratic than Idaho as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Pocatello. The south side runs the most Democratic (Even) and the northwest side runs the most Republican (R+33), a spread of about 35 points.
Why Pocatello 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 Pocatello, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Pocatello votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 72%, far above the Idaho average of 18%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Pocatello, ID sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in Pocatello looks the way it does
Turnout in Pocatello 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 Cities
- Chubbuck, ID R+37
- Portneuf, ID R+45
- Tyhee, ID R+27
- Arbon Valley, ID R+61
- Fort Hall, ID D+30
- Inkom, ID R+50
- Gibson, ID D+25
- Springfield, ID R+72
- Pauline, ID R+69
- Pingree, ID R+72
Cities with Similar Populations
- Elyria, OH D+2
- Lakeville, MN Even
- Florence, AL R+34
- Coconut Creek, FL D+9
- Bentonville, AR R+14
- Rosemead, CA D+17
- Garner, NC D+17
- Houma, LA R+37
- Huntsville, TX R+13
- Danville, CA D+27
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.