HarrisDemocratic37.9%6,119TrumpRepublican61.0%9,837KennedyNonpartisan0.5%74
R+23.0- Lead
- 3,718
- Total
- 16,135
- vs nation
- R+21.6
- Turnout
- 82.0%
Akashiccounty
Vilas County, WI
Contests in this Place (89 available)
President33 · 1896–2024 · 3 mapped
▦ precinct · ▥ counties · ▢ no spatial detail
President margin by year
Place winner margin
Boundary by 2024 margin · Precinct returns · VEST · MIT Election Lab
The precinct map shows the 2024 presidential vote; the timeline scrubs the county’s overall result across 1896–2024.
President results by year
2024 turnout 82.0% of 19,732 citizens 18+
BidenDemocratic38.4%5,903TrumpRepublican60.3%9,261JorgensenLibertarian0.9%138
R+21.8- Lead
- 3,358
- Total
- 15,369
- vs nation
- R+26.3
- Turnout
- 84.6%
ClintonDemocratic35.0%4,770TrumpRepublican60.0%8,166JohnsonLibertarian2.5%340
R+25.0- Lead
- 3,396
- Total
- 13,611
- vs nation
- R+27.0
- Turnout
- 77.6%
ObamaDemocratic43.0%5,951RomneyRepublican56.0%7,749GrayIndependent0.4%61
R+13.0- Lead
- 1,798
- Total
- 13,842
- vs nation
- R+16.8
- Turnout
- —
ObamaDemocratic47.2%6,491McCainRepublican51.3%7,055OtherAll other candidates1.5%204
R+4.1- Lead
- 564
- Total
- 13,750
- vs nation
- R+11.4
- Turnout
- —
KerryDemocratic40.8%5,713BushRepublican58.2%8,155OtherAll other candidates1.0%134
R+17.4- Lead
- 2,442
- Total
- 14,002
- vs nation
- R+15.0
- Turnout
- —
GoreDemocratic38.2%4,706BushRepublican56.5%6,958NaderGreen4.5%557
R+18.3- Lead
- 2,252
- Total
- 12,322
- vs nation
- R+18.8
- Turnout
- —
ClintonDemocratic40.5%4,226DoleRepublican43.0%4,496PerotReform14.8%1,548
R+2.6- Lead
- 270
- Total
- 10,445
- vs nation
- R+11.1
- Turnout
- —
Key facts
- 2024 presidential margin
- R+23.0MIT Election Lab
- Population
- 23,6472024 5-year
- Population density
- 28 / sq mi2024 5-year · TIGER/Line
- Land area
- 858 sq miTIGER/Line
- Median household income
- $68,4312024 5-year
- White (non-Hispanic)
- 84.8%2024 5-year
- Black
- 0.3%2024 5-year
- Hispanic / Latino
- 2.3%2024 5-year
- Peak Democratic margin
- D+30.4 in 1936MIT Election Lab
- Peak Republican margin
- R+61.7 in 1904MIT Election Lab
- Most similar
- Oneida County, WI · twin score 88.6
Turnout and midterm durability
Participation measured against the same-year citizen voting-age population. Audited cycles count total general-election participants — ballots or participating voters, not presidential candidate votes. Cycles before 2016 predate that series and are derived from the certified presidential returns instead; they are marked everywhere they appear and are excluded from the figures below.
2004–20248 cycles · 5 audited
- 2024 turnout
- 82.0%16,187 participants ÷ 19,732 CVAP
- 2020→2022 drop-off
- +15.4 ptsVolatile
- Drop-off vs state
- -0.1 ptsPositive means a larger decline than the statewide pattern
- Mechanical 2026
- 66.6%–70.7%Recent-cycle and two-cycle persistence scenarios; not a forecast
Participation by cycle
Presidential Midterm Derived, pre-2016
Select a presidential cycle to show it on the map and results ledger above.
| Cycle | Participants | CVAP | Turnout | Series | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16,187 | 19,732 ± 167 | 82.0% | Audited | B/A | |
| 2022Mid | 13,285 | 19,204 ± 170 | 69.2% | Audited | B/A |
| 15,396 | 18,194 ± 128 | 84.6% | Audited | B/A | |
| 2018Mid | 12,601 | 17,914 ± 131 | 70.3% | Audited | B/A |
| 13,688 | 17,631 ± 98 | 77.6% | Audited | B/A | |
| 13,842 | 17,546 | 78.9% | Derived | — | |
| 13,750 | 17,793 | 77.3% | Derived | — | |
| 14,002 | 18,040 extrapolated | 77.6% | Derived | — |
Sources and methods
Audited cycles (2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2024) count total general-election participants against the same-year CVAP special tabulation, each cell carrying its own numerator and denominator quality grade. Derived cycles (2004, 2008, 2012) come from the certified presidential returns on this page over the ACS 5-year CVAP series, so they measure presidential votes cast rather than ballots — a floor on participation. Where a derived cycle predates the ACS its denominator is extrapolated rather than read, and says so on its own line below. They are shown for the longer arc and are excluded from the drop-off, excess-drop-off, and 2026 scenario figures above.
- 2024: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:aggregated; allocation share 0.0%; series 310/228.
- 2022: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:aggregated; allocation share 0.0%; series 305/183.
- 2020: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:aggregated; allocation share 0.0%; series 300/2.
- 2018: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:aggregated; allocation share 0.0%; series 296/138.
- 2016: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:aggregated; allocation share 0.0%; series 292/111.
- 2012 (derived): Certified presidential returns · ACS 5-year CVAP (B05003); presidential votes cast — a floor on participation, not a ballot count.
- 2008 (derived): Certified presidential returns · ACS 5-year CVAP (B05003); presidential votes cast — a floor on participation, not a ballot count.
- 2004 (derived): Certified presidential returns · extrapolated CVAP denominator; presidential votes cast — a floor on participation, not a ballot count; 2004 predates the ACS, so the denominator is a linear back-extrapolation from the 2008 and 2012 CVAP values, not a read figure.
Interactive election map
One map. Every available contest.
Explore precinct resultsSearch, sort, compare years, or export CSV · 15 precincts
Precinct data
Results by precinct
15 precincts · 16,135 votes
Precinct boundaries and identifiers are cycle-specific. This table does not join rows across years without a validated crosswalk.
| Precinct -TOWN OF ARBOR VITAE WARDS 1-7TOWN OF ARBOR VITAE WARDS 1-7 | 892 | 1,431 | 30 | 2,353 | 37.9% | 60.8% | R+22.9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precinct -TOWN OF LINCOLN WARDS 1-5TOWN OF LINCOLN WARDS 1-5 | 618 | 1,230 | 16 | 1,864 | 33.2% | 66.0% | R+32.8 |
| Precinct -TOWN OF LAC DU FLAMBEAU WARDS 1-7TOWN OF LAC DU FLAMBEAU WARDS 1-7 | 1,079 | 676 | 13 | 1,768 | 61.0% | 38.2% | D+22.8 |
| Precinct -TOWN OF ST. GERMAIN WARDS 1-2TOWN OF ST. GERMAIN WARDS 1-2 | 562 | 980 | 25 | 1,567 | 35.9% | 62.5% | R+26.7 |
| Precinct -TOWN OF WASHINGTON WARDS 1-3TOWN OF WASHINGTON WARDS 1-3 | 395 | 825 | 14 | 1,234 | 32.0% | 66.9% | R+34.8 |
| Precinct -TOWN OF CONOVER WARDS 1-2TOWN OF CONOVER WARDS 1-2 | 330 | 679 | 9 | 1,018 | 32.4% | 66.7% | R+34.3 |
| Precinct -TOWN OF PHELPS WARDS 1-2TOWN OF PHELPS WARDS 1-2 | 306 | 637 | 7 | 950 | 32.2% | 67.1% | R+34.8 |
| Precinct -CITY OF EAGLE RIVER WARDS 1-5CITY OF EAGLE RIVER WARDS 1-5 | 367 | 547 | 13 | 927 | 39.6% | 59.0% | R+19.4 |
| Precinct -TOWN OF CLOVERLAND WARDS 1-2TOWN OF CLOVERLAND WARDS 1-2 | 270 | 574 | 9 | 853 | 31.7% | 67.3% | R+35.6 |
| Precinct -TOWN OF BOULDER JUNCTION WARDS 1-2TOWN OF BOULDER JUNCTION WARDS 1-2 | 335 | 482 | 10 | 827 | 40.5% | 58.3% | R+17.8 |
| Precinct -TOWN OF LAND O-LAKES WARDS 1-2TOWN OF LAND O-LAKES WARDS 1-2 | 217 | 479 | 10 | 706 | 30.7% | 67.8% | R+37.1 |
| Precinct -TOWN OF PRESQUE ISLE WARDS 1-2TOWN OF PRESQUE ISLE WARDS 1-2 | 262 | 370 | 7 | 639 | 41.0% | 57.9% | R+16.9 |
| Precinct -TOWN OF MANITOWISH WATERS WARD 1TOWN OF MANITOWISH WATERS WARD 1 | 171 | 387 | 8 | 566 | 30.2% | 68.4% | R+38.2 |
| Precinct -TOWN OF PLUM LAKE WARD 1TOWN OF PLUM LAKE WARD 1 | 168 | 295 | 3 | 466 | 36.1% | 63.3% | R+27.3 |
| Precinct -TOWN OF WINCHESTER WARD 1TOWN OF WINCHESTER WARD 1 | 147 | 245 | 5 | 397 | 37.0% | 61.7% | R+24.7 |
presidential history
Party record book
Vilas County, WI · the strongest Democratic and Republican presidential performances recorded here, measured three ways.
1896–2024 · 33 presidential cycles
Highest vote share
Largest share of the presidential candidate vote cast here.
Democratic
Franklin D. Roosevelt1936
61.7%
2,559 votes · D+30.4
Runner-up · Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1932 · 61.3%
Republican
Theodore Roosevelt1904
79.1%
1,467 votes · R+61.7
Runner-up · Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1956 · 74.1%
Most votes
Largest number of votes cast for the party’s presidential nominee here.
Democratic
Barack Obama2008
6,491votes
47.2% of the vote · R+4.1
Runner-up · Kamala Harris, 2024 · 6,119 votes
Republican
Donald Trump2024
9,837votes
61.0% of the vote · R+23.0
Runner-up · Donald Trump, 2020 · 9,261 votes
Best relative to the U.S.
This Place’s margin against the national margin in the same election — positive when it leaned toward the party more than the country did.
Democratic
Franklin D. Roosevelt1932
+9.3pts D vs U.S.
Place D+27.1 · U.S. D+17.8
Runner-up · Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1936 · +6.2 pts
Republican
Theodore Roosevelt1904
+42.1pts R vs U.S.
Place R+61.7 · U.S. R+19.7
Runner-up · William H. Taft, 1908 · +37.1 pts
current representation
Current officeholders
RMary FelzkowskiState Senate · 12
RRob SwearingenState House · 34
Seats representing Vilas County, WI. A county elects none of these itself — they are the members for the 1 congressional, 1 state senate and 1 state house districts it falls inside, so parts of the county are represented by different members.
U.S. House elections · 3 House
Senate and governor results are in the Office selector at the top of this page.
U.S. House
Each row shows U.S. House votes counted inside this Place. “Vote lead” is the local lead here, not necessarily the winner of the full contest.
domestic migration
Who moves in and out
Net migration over time, and who arrivals are — where they came from and what those places vote
+255 net domestic migration · 2025
20112025
Net +3,430 over 2011–2025 · gain loss
Arrivals reported $106,617 in average income, against $81,331 for residents who stayed — 31% higher. (IRS SOI, 2022–23)
The places arrivals came from lean R+0.3 on average — 23 points more Democratic-leaning than Vilas County, WI itself (R+23.0).
Where arrivals came from lean of each source
- Oneida County, WI174R+17.6
- Cook County, IL32D+41.6
- Dane County, WI32D+51.5
- Marathon County, WI26R+18.6
- Milwaukee County, WI25D+38.4
- Waukesha County, WI25R+19.7
Where departures went households, 2022–23
- Oneida County, WI119
- Dane County, WI35
- Brown County, WI25
- Milwaukee County, WI25
- Marathon County, WI24
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 | +65 |
| 2012 | +11 |
| 2013 | +172 |
| 2014 | +85 |
| 2015 | +133 |
| 2016 | +153 |
| 2017 | +332 |
| 2018 | +323 |
| 2019 | +383 |
| 2021 | +624 |
| 2022 | +416 |
| 2023 | +317 |
| 2024 | +161 |
| 2025 | +255 |
Vilas County's lake-studded landscape draws seasonal visitors and retirees, sustaining a small, predominantly white rural population that has backed Republican presidential candidates by double digits for over two decades.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 30.4 points in 1936 and a Republican high of 61.7 points in 1904. Between 2020 and 2024 the county moved 1.2 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 23.0 points.
A population of 23,647, a 85% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $68,431 describe the county. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Oneida County and Sawyer County.
Political twins — counties
The counties whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Oneida County
Wisconsin
88.6twin score
median agePolish ancestryelasticity≠ French ancestry
Sawyer County
Wisconsin
84.1twin score
median ageelasticitySwedish ancestry≠ Polish ancestry
Mason County
Michigan
80.2twin score
Polish ancestry% unaffiliatedelasticity≠ median age
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 →
Cite this page
All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.
Vilas County, Wisconsin. Akashic. https://akashic.app/county/55125/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
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Frequently asked questions
How did Vilas County, Wisconsin vote in 2024?
In 2024, Vilas County, Wisconsin voted Republican by 23.0 points (R+23.0), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 16,135 votes cast, 6,119 went Democratic and 9,837 went Republican.
When did Vilas County, Wisconsin last vote Democratic?
The most recent presidential election in which Vilas County, Wisconsin voted Democratic was 1964.
How many people live in Vilas County, Wisconsin?
Vilas County, Wisconsin has a population of 23,647 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Vilas County, Wisconsin?
Median household income in Vilas County, Wisconsin is $68,431 — below the national median of $80,734. The Wisconsin state median is $77,485.
What is the political history of Vilas County, Wisconsin?
Akashic tracks 38 presidential elections in Vilas County, Wisconsin from 1876 to 2024. Of those, 6 went Democratic and 26 went Republican.