West Yellowstone leans slightly Democratic by roughly 6 points: about 53% of voters vote Democratic and 47% Republican.
About 72% of adults in West Yellowstone typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in West Yellowstone, ~38% vote Democratic, ~34% Republican, and ~28% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How West Yellowstone compares
West Yellowstone sits in a sparsely populated area with few comparable cities nearby.
West Yellowstone runs about 26 points more Democratic than Montana as a whole. Montana leans Republican overall, while West Yellowstone is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within West Yellowstone. The east side runs the most Democratic (D+15) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (R+19), a spread of about 33 points.
Why West Yellowstone 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 West Yellowstone, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 63% of residents in West Yellowstone live in densely developed areas, about 26 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 31% of adults in West Yellowstone have never been married, above 79% of cities. West Yellowstone runs against the grain of Montana, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; West Yellowstone, MT sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in West Yellowstone looks the way it does
Turnout in West Yellowstone 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
- Macks Inn, ID R+48
- Island Park, ID R+48
- Yellowstone National Park, WY R+46
- Cameron, MT R+23
- Gardiner, MT R+6
- Miner, MT Even
- Corwin Springs, MT R+4
- Jardine, MT R+6
- Big Sky, MT D+7
- Warm River, ID R+62
Cities with Similar Populations
- Roseto, PA R+22
- North Garden, VA D+6
- Fort Deposit, AL D+30
- Jefferson, ME R+31
- Clintondale, NY R+15
- Gilmanton, NH R+15
- Akron, IA R+57
- Tioga, TX R+67
- Dulzura, CA R+29
- Olla, LA R+91
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Montana 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.