South Branch leans heavily Republican by roughly 44 points: about 28% of voters vote Democratic and 72% Republican.
About 76% of adults in South Branch typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in South Branch, ~21% vote Democratic, ~55% Republican, and ~24% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How South Branch compares
Among cities within 25 miles, South Branch leans more Republican than 15 of 26 neighbors.
South Branch runs about 42 points more Republican than Michigan as a whole.
Why South Branch 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 South Branch, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 4% of residents in South Branch live in densely developed areas, about 27 points below the Michigan average of 31%.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; South Branch, MI sits in the bottom quarter 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 South Branch looks the way it does
Turnout in South Branch 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
- Long Lake, MI R+36
- Hale, MI R+35
- Glennie, MI R+43
- Lupton, MI R+41
- Kurtz, MI R+42
- McKinley, MI R+43
- Rose City, MI R+41
- National City, MI R+38
- Curran, MI R+45
- Selkirk, MI R+45
Cities with Similar Populations
- Treloar, MO R+54
- West Poplarville, MS R+72
- Stillwater, WA D+12
- St. Croix Junction, ME R+18
- Rock Creek, ID R+68
- Rushmore, MN R+57
- Whitworth, GA R+69
- Campbellton, FL D+28
- Somers Lane, PA R+58
- Strawn, TX R+71
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.