Rapides Parish leans Republican by roughly 24 points: about 38% of voters vote Democratic and 62% Republican.
About 67% of adults in Rapides Parish typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Rapides Parish, ~25% vote Democratic, ~42% Republican, and ~33% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Rapides Parish compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Rapides Parish leans more Republican than 1 of 9 neighbors.
Politically, Rapides Parish sits close to the rest of Louisiana.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Rapides Parish. The south side runs the most Democratic (D+27) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (R+65), a spread of about 93 points.
Why Rapides Parish 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 Rapides Parish, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rapides Parish votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 47%, well above the Louisiana average of 25%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; Rapides Parish, LA sits below the national average 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 Rapides Parish looks the way it does
Turnout in Rapides Parish 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
- Grant Parish, LA R+77
- Avoyelles Parish, LA R+37
- LaSalle Parish, LA R+71
- Evangeline Parish, LA R+39
- Winn Parish, LA R+44
- Allen Parish, LA R+48
- Catahoula Parish, LA R+50
- Vernon Parish, LA R+56
- Natchitoches Parish, LA R+13
- St. Landry Parish, LA R+11
Counties with Similar Populations
- Madison County, IN R+25
- Washington County, RI D+11
- Sumter County, FL R+31
- Skagit County, WA D+4
- Wichita County, TX R+31
- Strafford County, NH D+4
- Berkshire County, MA D+27
- Hunterdon County, NJ R+6
- Black Hawk County, IA D+3
- Fayette County, PA R+36
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.