Salem is a Republican stronghold. About 22% of voters here vote Democratic and 78% Republican.
About 57% of adults in Salem typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Salem, ~12% vote Democratic, ~45% Republican, and ~43% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Salem compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Salem leans more Republican than 9 of 42 neighbors.
Salem runs about 8 points more Republican than Oklahoma as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Salem. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+67) and the north side is the least Republican-leaning (R+52), a spread of about 15 points.
Why Salem 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 Salem, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with low college attainment vote Republican. About 13% of adults in Salem hold a bachelor's degree, about 8 points below the Oklahoma average of 21%. Rural areas vote Republican, and Salem sits in the bottom quarter on density (about 4%, below 86% of cities).
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; Salem, OK sits in the bottom quarter nationally 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 Salem looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Salem is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 49%, about 6 points below the Oklahoma average of 55%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 24% of adults in Salem report food insecurity, above 89% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Spelter City, OK R+61
- Henryetta, OK R+49
- Dewar, OK R+58
- Dustin, OK R+61
- Dighton, OK R+58
- Weleetka, OK R+48
- Pharoah, OK R+60
- Vernon, OK R+56
- Schulter, OK R+68
- Hoffman, OK R+58
Cities with Similar Populations
- Durango, IA R+35
- Vershire, VT Even
- Bumpus Mills, TN R+70
- Denham, MS R+9
- Delphos, KS R+70
- Downer, MN R+27
- Tar River, NC R+16
- Richtex, SC D+16
- Amanda Park, WA D+21
- Big Creek, MS R+52
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Oklahoma State Election Board, 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.