Thurston County leans Democratic by roughly 20 points: about 60% of voters vote Democratic and 40% Republican.
About 79% of adults in Thurston County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Thurston County, ~48% vote Democratic, ~32% Republican, and ~20% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Thurston County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Thurston County leans more Democratic than 5 of 6 neighbors.
Politically, Thurston County sits close to the rest of Washington.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Thurston County. The north side runs the most Democratic (D+45) and the southeast side runs the most Republican (R+20), a spread of about 65 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.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 63% of residents in Thurston County live in densely developed areas, about 26 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Thurston County sits in the top quarter (about 38%, above 90% of counties).
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Thurston County, WA sits in the top 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 Thurston County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Thurston 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 68%, about 8 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 95% of adults in Thurston County have completed high school, above 89% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Mason County, WA R+5
- Pierce County, WA D+12
- Lewis County, WA R+29
- Kitsap County, WA D+18
- Grays Harbor County, WA R+8
- King County, WA D+45
- Wahkiakum County, WA R+19
- Cowlitz County, WA R+18
- Pacific County, WA R+5
- Jefferson County, WA D+45
Counties with Similar Populations
- Chatham County, GA D+26
- Cleveland County, OK R+14
- Lexington County, SC R+30
- Dutchess County, NY D+8
- Ottawa County, MI R+16
- Leon County, FL D+26
- Clayton County, GA D+68
- Anchorage Municipality, AK D+20
- Greene County, MO R+18
- St. Louis City, MO D+65
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Washington 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.