Thunder Butte leans heavily Republican by roughly 32 points: about 34% of voters vote Democratic and 66% Republican.
About 48% of adults in Thunder Butte typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Thunder Butte, ~16% vote Democratic, ~32% Republican, and ~52% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Thunder Butte compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Thunder Butte leans more Republican than 5 of 6 neighbors.
Politically, Thunder Butte sits close to the rest of South Dakota.
Why Thunder Butte leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Thunder Butte. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; Thunder Butte, SD sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in Thunder Butte looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Thunder Butte is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 46%, about 20 points below the South Dakota average of 66%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 29% of households in Thunder Butte rent, above 83% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Dupree, SD R+28
- Bear Creek, SD D+31
- Isabel, SD R+37
- Lantry, SD D+48
- Green Grass, SD D+14
- North Eagle Butte, SD D+60
- Faith, SD R+76
- Eagle Butte, SD D+54
- Glad Valley, SD D+37
- Coal Springs, SD R+70
Cities with Similar Populations
- Cairo, TN R+63
- Mountaindale, OR R+5
- Las Nutrias, NM R+6
- Hawkinsville, TX R+63
- McCormick, IL R+59
- Oldtown, IL R+65
- Lithia, MA D+34
- Lauderdale, WI R+27
- Rich, AR R+61
- Shepard, ND R+51
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.