Rio Blanco County leans heavily Republican by roughly 46 points: about 27% of voters vote Democratic and 73% Republican.
About 90% of adults in Rio Blanco County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Rio Blanco County, ~24% vote Democratic, ~66% Republican, and ~10% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Rio Blanco County compares
Rio Blanco County runs about 57 points more Republican than Colorado as a whole. Colorado leans Democratic overall, while Rio Blanco County is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Rio Blanco County. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+74) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+34), a spread of about 40 points.
Why Rio Blanco 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 Rio Blanco County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rio Blanco County votes against the grain of Colorado. Colorado leans Democratic overall, while Rio Blanco County runs about 57 points more Republican.
Adult tooth loss and voter turnout
Places with a low adult tooth-loss rate tend to turn out at a higher rate; Rio Blanco County, CO sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Tooth loss does not drive turnout; it reflects age, income, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in Rio Blanco County looks the way it does
Areas with high high-school completion turn out at higher rates. About 96% of adults in Rio Blanco County have completed high school, about 6 points above the U.S. average of 90%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Moffat County, CO R+52
- Garfield County, CO R+5
- Mesa County, CO R+20
- Uintah County, UT R+67
- Routt County, CO D+12
- Eagle County, CO D+14
- Delta County, CO R+35
- Pitkin County, CO D+40
- Daggett County, UT R+59
- Duchesne County, UT R+76
Counties with Similar Populations
- Fulton County, KY R+41
- Wilkin County, MN R+39
- Wayne County, IA R+56
- Surry County, VA D+2
- Wolfe County, KY R+57
- Dallas County, AR R+18
- Howard County, NE R+64
- Moore County, TN R+69
- Fremont County, IA R+47
- King and Queen County, VA R+28
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Colorado 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.