Wasco County leans slightly Republican by roughly 14 points: about 43% of voters vote Democratic and 57% Republican.
About 73% of adults in Wasco County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Wasco County, ~31% vote Democratic, ~42% Republican, and ~27% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Wasco County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Wasco County leans more Republican than 3 of 5 neighbors.
Wasco County runs about 28 points more Republican than Oregon as a whole. Oregon leans Democratic overall, while Wasco County is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Wasco County. The south side runs the most Democratic (Even) and the southeast side runs the most Republican (R+41), a spread of about 41 points.
Why Wasco 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 Wasco County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Wasco County votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 48%, well above the Oregon average of 31%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here. Wasco County runs against the grain of Oregon, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Wasco County, OR sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in Wasco County looks the way it does
Turnout in Wasco 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
- Klickitat County, WA R+11
- Hood River County, OR D+24
- Sherman County, OR R+59
- Skamania County, WA R+13
- Gilliam County, OR R+48
- Jefferson County, OR R+26
- Clark County, WA D+7
- Multnomah County, OR D+52
- Clackamas County, OR D+13
- Wheeler County, OR R+51
Counties with Similar Populations
- Marlboro County, SC D+9
- Geneva County, AL R+74
- Oceana County, MI R+28
- Carter County, KY R+61
- Boone County, IA R+24
- Juneau County, WI R+31
- Carroll County, OH R+55
- King George County, VA R+23
- Gillespie County, TX R+56
- Cass County, NE R+42
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Oregon Secretary of State, Elections Division, 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.