Sturgis leans heavily Republican by roughly 30 points: about 35% of voters vote Democratic and 65% Republican.
About 74% of adults in Sturgis typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Sturgis, ~26% vote Democratic, ~48% Republican, and ~26% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Sturgis compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Sturgis leans more Republican than 4 of 67 neighbors.
Sturgis runs about 29 points more Republican than Michigan as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Sturgis. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+42) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+21), a spread of about 21 points.
Why Sturgis 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 Sturgis, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Sturgis votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 49%, well above the Michigan average of 31%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Sturgis, MI sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Sturgis looks the way it does
Turnout in Sturgis 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
- Findley, MI R+49
- Burr Oak, MI R+51
- Howe, IN R+61
- Nottawa, MI R+40
- Ontario, IN R+60
- Scott, IN R+63
- Centreville, MI R+42
- Wasepi, MI R+46
- Fairfax, MI R+45
- Colon, MI R+39
Cities with Similar Populations
- Forest City, NC R+37
- Beacon, NY D+32
- Winthrop Town, MA D+20
- Douglas, AZ D+14
- Horseheads, NY R+19
- Waunakee, WI D+27
- Woodbridge, NJ D+9
- Fillmore, CA D+5
- Morris, IL R+23
- Cottage Lake, WA D+28
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.