Shell Lake leans heavily Republican by roughly 34 points: about 33% of voters vote Democratic and 67% Republican.
About 73% of adults in Shell Lake typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Shell Lake, ~24% vote Democratic, ~49% Republican, and ~27% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Shell Lake compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Shell Lake leans more Republican than 24 of 28 neighbors.
Shell Lake runs about 34 points more Republican than Wisconsin as a whole.
Why Shell Lake leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Shell Lake. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Frequent mental distress and voter turnout
Places with a low frequent-mental-distress rate tend to turn out at a higher rate; Shell Lake, WI sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Reported mental distress does not drive turnout; it reflects economic and health conditions tied to voting.
Why turnout in Shell Lake looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Shell Lake 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 Cities
- Spooner, WI R+27
- Barronett, WI R+28
- Hertel, WI R+30
- Sarona, WI R+26
- Indian Creek, WI R+34
- Haugen, WI R+33
- Cumberland, WI R+25
- Trego, WI R+29
- Coomer, WI R+27
- Springbrook, WI R+39
Cities with Similar Populations
- Pulaski, PA R+43
- Hudson, IA R+32
- Lowry Crossing, TX R+21
- Belle Meade, TN R+14
- Lyons, MI R+41
- Mantorville, MN R+31
- Sterling, MI R+45
- Leesburg, AL R+80
- Racine, OH R+64
- River Bend, NC R+25
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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.