Sierra City leans slightly Republican by roughly 12 points: about 44% of voters vote Democratic and 56% Republican.
About 66% of adults in Sierra City typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Sierra City, ~29% vote Democratic, ~37% Republican, and ~34% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Sierra City compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Sierra City leans more Republican than 11 of 26 neighbors.
Sierra City runs about 32 points more Republican than California as a whole. California leans Democratic overall, while Sierra City is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Sierra City. The north side is the most Republican-leaning (R+19) and the southwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+8), a spread of about 11 points.
Why Sierra City 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 Sierra City, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Sierra City votes against the grain of California. California leans Democratic overall, while Sierra City runs about 32 points more Republican. Rural areas vote Republican, and Sierra City sits in the bottom quarter on density (about 3%, below 89% of cities).
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; Sierra City, CA sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Sierra City looks the way it does
Turnout in Sierra City 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
- Downieville, CA R+17
- Sattley, CA R+13
- Calpine, CA R+17
- Clio, CA R+16
- Alleghany, CA R+6
- Sierraville, CA R+20
- Graeagle, CA R+16
- Goodyears Bar, CA R+14
Cities with Similar Populations
- Shive, TX R+77
- Zenda, WI R+35
- Shamokin, SC R+42
- Cedar Bluff, IA R+33
- East Cape Girardeau, IL R+53
- Monterey, KY R+63
- Wingate, TX R+80
- Waka, TX R+88
- Reese, TX R+42
- West Harrington, ME R+31
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from California 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.