Whitman County leans Democratic by roughly 16 points: about 58% of voters vote Democratic and 42% Republican.
About 52% of adults in Whitman County typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Whitman County, ~30% vote Democratic, ~22% Republican, and ~48% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Whitman County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Whitman County is the most Democratic-leaning.
Politically, Whitman County sits close to the rest of Washington.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Whitman County. The southeast side runs the most Democratic (D+45) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (R+71), a spread of about 116 points.
Why Whitman 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 Whitman County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 54% of adults in Whitman County hold a bachelor's degree, about 25 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and Whitman County sits in the top fifth on density (about 55%, above 82% of counties). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 50% of adults in Whitman County have never been married, in the top fraction of counties.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Whitman County, WA sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Whitman County looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 56% of households in Whitman County rent, about 31 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Latah County, ID R+4
- Garfield County, WA R+58
- Asotin County, WA R+29
- Nez Perce County, ID R+35
- Benewah County, ID R+60
- Columbia County, WA R+51
- Clearwater County, ID R+64
- Lewis County, ID R+60
- Spokane County, WA R+3
- Kootenai County, ID R+46
Counties with Similar Populations
- Bingham County, ID R+54
- Carter County, OK R+46
- Greene County, NY R+13
- Shelby County, KY R+32
- Le Flore County, OK R+63
- Crittenden County, AR D+22
- Shelby County, OH R+58
- Boyd County, KY R+38
- Santa Cruz County, AZ D+17
- Val Verde County, TX R+12
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.