Scenic is a Republican stronghold. About 18% of voters here vote Democratic and 82% Republican.
About 56% of adults in Scenic typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Scenic, ~10% vote Democratic, ~46% Republican, and ~44% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Scenic compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Scenic leans more Republican than 3 of 7 neighbors.
Scenic runs about 35 points more Republican than South Dakota as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Scenic. The east side is the most Republican-leaning (R+76) and the southeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+19), a spread of about 57 points.
Why Scenic leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Scenic. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; Scenic, SD sits in the bottom tenth 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 Scenic looks the way it does
Turnout in Scenic 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
- Imlay, SD Even
- Wall, SD R+76
- Wasta, SD R+76
- Wicksville, SD R+79
- Red Shirt, SD D+27
- Rockyford, SD D+58
- Quinn, SD R+77
- Caputa, SD R+67
- New Underwood, SD R+69
Cities with Similar Populations
- Mitchellsburg, KY R+64
- Woodleaf, CA R+11
- Tempa, WV R+55
- Cundiff, TX R+80
- Scullton, PA R+63
- Julius, AR Even
- Souwilpa, AL R+54
- Los Luceros, NM D+15
- Nough, TN R+69
- New Marlboro, MA D+26
All Local Stats
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from South Dakota 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.