Kalkaska County, Michigan
Precinct data
Results by precinct
26 precincts · 11,529 votes
Precinct boundaries and identifiers are cycle-specific. This table does not join rows across years without a validated crosswalk.
| Precinct -Clearwater Township, Precinct 1Clearwater Township, Precinct 1 | 566 | 1,067 | 35 | 1,668 | 33.9% | 64.0% | R+30.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precinct -Kalkaska Township, Precinct 1Kalkaska Township, Precinct 1 | 429 | 1,152 | 22 | 1,603 | 26.8% | 71.9% | R+45.1 |
| Precinct -Kalkaska Township, Precinct 2Kalkaska Township, Precinct 2 | 374 | 894 | 22 | 1,290 | 29.0% | 69.3% | R+40.3 |
| Precinct -Coldsprings Township, Precinct 1Coldsprings Township, Precinct 1 | 316 | 721 | 15 | 1,052 | 30.0% | 68.5% | R+38.5 |
| Precinct -Boardman Township, Precinct 1Boardman Township, Precinct 1 | 243 | 742 | 15 | 1,000 | 24.3% | 74.2% | R+49.9 |
| Precinct -Springfield Township, Precinct 1Springfield Township, Precinct 1 | 240 | 655 | 8 | 903 | 26.6% | 72.5% | R+46.0 |
| Precinct -Orange Township, Precinct 1Orange Township, Precinct 1 | 163 | 643 | 7 | 813 | 20.0% | 79.1% | R+59.0 |
| Precinct -Rapid River Township, Precinct 1Rapid River Township, Precinct 1 | 194 | 578 | 13 | 785 | 24.7% | 73.6% | R+48.9 |
| Precinct -Excelsior Township, Precinct 1Excelsior Township, Precinct 1 | 175 | 456 | 11 | 642 | 27.3% | 71.0% | R+43.8 |
| Precinct -Garfield Township, Precinct 1Garfield Township, Precinct 1 | 159 | 477 | 5 | 641 | 24.8% | 74.4% | R+49.6 |
| Precinct -Bear Lake Township, Precinct 1Bear Lake Township, Precinct 1 | 163 | 367 | 13 | 543 | 30.0% | 67.6% | R+37.6 |
| Precinct -Blue Lake Township, Precinct 1Blue Lake Township, Precinct 1 | 133 | 225 | 5 | 363 | 36.6% | 62.0% | R+25.3 |
| Precinct -Oliver Township, Precinct 1Oliver Township, Precinct 1 | 51 | 172 | 3 | 226 | 22.6% | 76.1% | R+53.5 |
| 0790644000001079-06440-00001 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | Even |
| 0790932000001079-09320-00001 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | Even |
| 0790944000001079-09440-00001 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | Even |
| 0791634000001079-16340-00001 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | Even |
| 0791700000001079-17000-00001 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | Even |
| 0792686000001079-26860-00001 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | Even |
| 0793160000001079-31600-00001 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | Even |
| 0794228000001079-42280-00001 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | Even |
| 0794228000002079-42280-00002 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | Even |
| 0796054000001079-60540-00001 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | Even |
| 0796094000001079-60940-00001 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | Even |
| 0796718000001079-67180-00001 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | Even |
| 0797572000001079-75720-00001 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | Even |
Presidential margin, 1892–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
| Year | Margin (D minus R) |
|---|---|
| 1892 | −27.2% |
| 1896 | −36.6% |
| 1900 | −54.7% |
| 1904 | −72.5% |
| 1908 | −47.9% |
| 1912 | −11.2% |
| 1916 | −23.3% |
| 1920 | −54.8% |
| 1924 | −55.5% |
| 1928 | −70.9% |
| 1932 | −3.8% |
| 1936 | +5.2% |
| 1940 | −23.2% |
| 1944 | −41.3% |
| 1948 | −34.2% |
| 1952 | −46.2% |
| 1956 | −38.6% |
| 1960 | −31.8% |
| 1964 | +17.2% |
| 1968 | −19.6% |
| 1972 | −32.3% |
| 1976 | −7.5% |
| 1980 | −20.0% |
| 1984 | −38.7% |
| 1988 | −23.2% |
| 1992 | +1.9% |
| 1996 | +3.5% |
| 2000 | −15.6% |
| 2004 | −22.6% |
| 2008 | −8.8% |
| 2012 | −19.6% |
| 2016 | −43.4% |
| 2020 | −41.7% |
| 2024 | −42.9% |
U.S. Senate
Registered voters
Total registered voters, over time
| Year | Total registered |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 14,720 |
| 2018 | 14,894 |
| 2020 | 16,069 |
| 2022 | 16,715 |
| 2024 | 17,419 |
Who moves in and out
Net migration over time, and who arrivals are — where they came from and what those places vote
+126 net domestic migration · 2025
Net +2,128 over 2011–2025 · gain loss
Arrivals reported $56,683 in average income, against $65,152 for residents who stayed — 13% lower. (IRS SOI, 2022–23)
The places arrivals came from lean R+8.3 on average — 35 points more Democratic-leaning than Kalkaska County, MI itself (R+42.9).
Where arrivals came from lean of each source
- Grand Traverse County, MI182R+1.7
- Antrim County, MI78R+23.8
Where departures went households, 2022–23
- Grand Traverse County, MI122
- Antrim County, MI91
Migration is one input to a place’s political change, not its cause — a shift can also come from residents changing their minds, generational turnover, or turnout. These figures describe the places people moved between; they do not measure how any mover voted.
| Year | Net domestic migration |
|---|---|
| 2011 | +44 |
| 2012 | −60 |
| 2013 | +173 |
| 2014 | +89 |
| 2015 | −109 |
| 2016 | +73 |
| 2017 | +326 |
| 2018 | +237 |
| 2019 | +229 |
| 2021 | +138 |
| 2022 | +297 |
| 2023 | +281 |
| 2024 | +284 |
| 2025 | +126 |
Kalkaska's small, predominantly white rural population in the northwestern Lower Peninsula has delivered lopsided Republican presidential margins for decades, hitting R+42.9 in 2024 and reflecting the broader rightward consolidation of Michigan's rural north.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 17.2 points in 1964 and a Republican high of 72.5 points in 1904. Between 2020 and 2024 the county moved 1.2 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 42.9 points.
A population of 18,239, a 92% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $68,578 describe the county. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Hillsdale County and Barry County.
The counties whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.
Browse places by community — income, education, race & ethnicity, language — all community cuts →
Compare two places, side by side
Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →
Kalkaska County, Michigan. Akashic. https://akashic.app/county/26079/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.