Thurston County leans Democratic by roughly 22 points: about 61% of voters vote Democratic and 39% Republican.
About 63% of adults in Thurston County typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Thurston County, ~38% vote Democratic, ~25% Republican, and ~37% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Thurston County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Thurston County is the most Democratic-leaning.
Thurston County runs about 43 points more Democratic than Nebraska as a whole. Nebraska leans Republican overall, while Thurston County is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Thurston County. The northeast side runs the most Democratic (D+72) and the south side runs the most Republican (R+56), a spread of about 128 points.
Why Thurston County leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per county to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Thurston County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Thurston County votes against the grain of Nebraska. Nebraska leans Republican overall, while Thurston County runs about 43 points more Democratic. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 47% of adults in Thurston County have never been married, above 98% of counties.
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; Thurston County, NE sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Thurston County looks the way it does
Turnout in Thurston County 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 Counties
- Dakota County, NE R+15
- Cuming County, NE R+63
- Burt County, NE R+55
- Woodbury County, IA R+9
- Dixon County, NE R+56
- Wayne County, NE R+44
- Monona County, IA R+46
- Union County, SD R+43
- Stanton County, NE R+64
- Plymouth County, IA R+49
Counties with Similar Populations
- Charles City County, VA D+8
- Broadwater County, MT R+54
- Tucker County, WV R+50
- Clinch County, GA R+51
- Monroe County, AR R+33
- Refugio County, TX R+36
- Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK R+39
- Huerfano County, CO R+7
- Burt County, NE R+55
- Galax City, VA R+38
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Nebraska 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.