Stanley County leans heavily Republican by roughly 50 points: about 25% of voters vote Democratic and 75% Republican.
About 81% of adults in Stanley County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Stanley County, ~20% vote Democratic, ~61% Republican, and ~19% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Stanley County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Stanley County leans more Republican than 2 of 4 neighbors.
Stanley County runs about 20 points more Republican than South Dakota as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Stanley County. The west side is the most Republican-leaning (R+63) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+45), a spread of about 18 points.
Why Stanley County leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Stanley County. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Park access and Republican lean
Places with low park coverage tend to lean Republican; Stanley County, SD sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Park access does not change how people vote; it tends to track denser, higher-income areas.
Why turnout in Stanley County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Stanley County 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 72%, about 12 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 84% of households in Stanley County own their home, above 93% of counties. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 94% of adults in Stanley County have completed high school, above 82% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Hughes County, SD R+34
- Sully County, SD R+62
- Jones County, SD R+72
- Lyman County, SD R+5
- Hyde County, SD R+60
- Potter County, SD R+62
- Buffalo County, SD D+24
- Haakon County, SD R+71
- Mellette County, SD R+25
- Dewey County, SD D+30
Counties with Similar Populations
- Bowman County, ND R+65
- Sherman County, NE R+64
- Rush County, KS R+62
- Nelson County, ND R+43
- Lincoln County, KS R+67
- Jewell County, KS R+73
- Fallon County, MT R+71
- Edwards County, KS R+65
- Brown County, NE R+74
- Lipscomb County, TX R+84
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.