Skeels leans heavily Republican by roughly 46 points: about 27% of voters vote Democratic and 73% Republican.
About 83% of adults in Skeels typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Skeels, ~22% vote Democratic, ~60% Republican, and ~18% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Skeels compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Skeels leans more Republican than 19 of 28 neighbors.
Skeels runs about 44 points more Republican than Michigan as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Skeels. The south side is the most Republican-leaning (R+53) and the northeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+38), a spread of about 14 points.
Why Skeels 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 Skeels, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with low college attainment vote Republican. About 13% of adults in Skeels hold a bachelor's degree, about 13 points below the Michigan average of 26%.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Skeels, MI sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in Skeels looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Skeels 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 62%, about 5 points below the Michigan average of 67%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 95% of households in Skeels own their home, about 20 points above the U.S. average of 75%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Wagarville, MI R+45
- Hockaday, MI R+38
- Gladwin, MI R+40
- Harrison, MI R+40
- Dover, MI R+53
- Sugar Rapids, MI R+41
- Wooden Shoe Village, MI R+45
- Prudenville, MI R+27
- Colonville, MI R+55
- Beaverton, MI R+45
Cities with Similar Populations
- Arkport, NY R+50
- Clyattville, GA R+49
- Titus, AL R+78
- Chinquapin, NC R+51
- Middleberg, OK R+70
- Maroa, IL R+50
- Elkland, PA R+47
- Hersman, IL R+32
- Sheridan, CA R+47
- Clarkrange, TN R+68
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Michigan Department 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.