Rapides leans Republican by roughly 22 points: about 39% of voters vote Democratic and 61% Republican.
About 69% of adults in Rapides typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Rapides, ~27% vote Democratic, ~42% Republican, and ~31% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Rapides compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Rapides leans more Republican than 6 of 59 neighbors.
Politically, Rapides sits close to the rest of Louisiana.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Rapides. The north side runs the most Democratic (D+56) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (R+75), a spread of about 131 points.
Why Rapides 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 Rapides, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 85% of residents in Rapides drive to work alone, about 11 points above the U.S. average of 74%. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Rapides sits in the bottom quarter (about 15%, below 78% of cities).
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Rapides, LA sits in the top quarter 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 Rapides looks the way it does
Turnout in Rapides 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
- Weil, LA R+8
- Tioga, LA R+21
- Boyce, LA R+32
- Timber Trails, LA R+78
- Bagdad, LA R+62
- Alexandria, LA D+19
- Hotwells, LA R+70
- Rock, LA R+15
- Gardner, LA R+78
- Dry Prong, LA R+85
Cities with Similar Populations
- Luner, KY R+78
- Jubys, OK R+62
- Kossuth, IA R+28
- Clairmont Springs, AL R+39
- Clarendon, VT R+19
- Chrystal, PA R+63
- Tarryall, CO R+9
- Grand Ronde Agency, OR R+26
- Rodney, AR R+61
- Tioga, IL R+63
All Local Stats
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Louisiana 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.