Sauk County leans Republican by roughly 20 points: about 40% of voters vote Democratic and 60% Republican.
About 79% of adults in Sauk County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Sauk County, ~32% vote Democratic, ~47% Republican, and ~21% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Sauk County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Sauk County leans more Republican than 5 of 8 neighbors.
Sauk County runs about 19 points more Republican than Wisconsin as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Sauk County. The south side is the most Republican-leaning (R+33) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+12), a spread of about 22 points.
Why Sauk County leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Sauk County. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Food insecurity and voter turnout
Places with low food insecurity tend to turn out at a higher rate; Sauk County, WI sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Food insecurity does not directly drive turnout; it reflects economic hardship, which lines up with lower voting.
Why turnout in Sauk County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Sauk County is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 66%, about 6 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Columbia County, WI R+17
- Richland County, WI R+19
- Juneau County, WI R+31
- Marquette County, WI R+36
- Adams County, WI R+26
- Iowa County, WI R+11
- Dane County, WI D+48
- Vernon County, WI R+19
- Green Lake County, WI R+34
- Monroe County, WI R+28
Counties with Similar Populations
- Adams County, IL R+40
- Warren County, NY R+2
- Mason County, WA R+5
- Tehama County, CA R+35
- Starr County, TX R+7
- Harrison County, WV R+41
- Armstrong County, PA R+52
- Wilkes County, NC R+57
- Marquette County, MI Even
- Apache County, AZ D+30
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Wisconsin Elections Commission, 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.