Watervliet leans Republican by roughly 24 points: about 38% of voters vote Democratic and 62% Republican.
About 74% of adults in Watervliet typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Watervliet, ~28% vote Democratic, ~46% Republican, and ~26% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Watervliet compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Watervliet leans more Republican than 27 of 62 neighbors.
Watervliet runs about 22 points more Republican than Michigan as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Watervliet. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+33) and the northwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+19), a spread of about 14 points.
Why Watervliet 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 Watervliet, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Watervliet votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 44%, modestly 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; Watervliet, MI sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Watervliet looks the way it does
Turnout in Watervliet 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
- Paw Paw Lake, MI R+28
- Coloma, MI R+22
- Hartford, MI R+26
- Toquin, MI R+23
- Twelve Corners, MI R+13
- Lake Michigan Beach, MI R+26
- Keeler, MI R+27
- Covert, MI Even
Cities with Similar Populations
- Camden, ME D+48
- Hartford, KY R+59
- Halifax, VA R+13
- Summerton, SC R+2
- Caruthers, CA R+23
- Mounds, OK R+63
- Placitas, NM D+34
- Mansfield, PA R+33
- Forest Hills, TN R+15
- Pine Ridge, SD D+68
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.