Akashic
1892–2024
Akashic
Traverse City, MI
presidential margin
2008R+1.22012R+10.62016R+14.22020R+6.52024R+5.5
full record · 1892 → 2024
R+5.5
2024
median income$81,911U.S. $80,734 · MI $72,875
median age46.3U.S. 39.1 · MI 40.3
poverty rate9.5%U.S. 12.5% · MI 13.2%
bachelor’s+ (25+)39.3%U.S. 35.6% · MI 32.6%
non-english2.7%U.S. 22.3% · MI 10.4%
race · ethnicity · ancestry
German24.6%
English17.2%
Irish13.8%
Mexican2.2%
Spaniard0.3%
Puerto Rican0.2%
religion
other traditions
Mainline5.9%
Other Christian0.7%
Latter-day Saints0.6%
American Community Survey 2024 5-year (income, age, poverty, education, language, race, ancestry) · presidential returns from MIT Election Lab through 2024 · 2020 U.S. Religion Census (ASARB) — congregational adherents, unaffiliated is the unclaimed remainder.

Traverse City, MI, Michigan

Akashic
Traverse City, MITrumpR+5.5
—
2024 presidential margin by county for Traverse City, MI, MIA map of the constituent counties of Traverse City, MI, MI, each outlined and filled by its 2024 presidential margin from deep red (Republican) through neutral to deep blue (Democratic), seated within the faint outlines of the surrounding states.Benzie County, MI · R+8.7Grand Traverse County, MI · R+1.7Kalkaska County, MI · R+42.9Leelanau County, MI · D+7.8
How it voted
Share of the 2024 vote
Donald Trump ✓Republican52.0%54,502
Kamala HarrisDemocratic46.5%48,731
Jill SteinGreen1.5%1,599
D+60
R+60
4 counties, each filled by 2024 D-vs-R margin. Hover any county for its result.
County-level results (4 counties) — table
2024 presidential result by county for Traverse City, MI, MI — winner and D-vs-R margin.
CountyWinnerMargin
Benzie County, MIRepublicanR+8.7
Grand Traverse County, MIRepublicanR+1.7
Kalkaska County, MIRepublicanR+42.9
Leelanau County, MIDemocraticD+7.8
34 presidential elections
Third column names the leading third-party or independent finisher. Source · MIT Election Lab · ICPSR · VEST (precinct-level 2024).
YearWonDemocraticRepublicanOtherMarginTotal
R
46.5%Harris48,731
52.0%Trump54,502
1.5%Stein1,599
−5.5%
104,832
R
45.9%Biden45,960
52.4%Trump52,455
1.6%Jorgensen1,614
−6.5%
100,029
R
39.7%Clinton34,127
53.9%Trump46,307
6.4%Johnson5,504
−14.2%
85,938
R
43.9%Obama35,408
54.6%Romney43,993
1.5%Stein1,215
−10.6%
80,616
R
48.6%Obama39,844
49.8%McCain40,868
1.6%Nader1,293
−1.2%
82,005
R
40.7%Kerry31,876
58.2%Bush45,547
1.1%Nader843
−17.5%
78,266
R
38.9%Gore25,326
57.1%Bush37,212
4.0%Nader2,621
−18.2%
65,159
R
40.3%Clinton22,753
47.5%Dole26,821
12.2%Perot6,872
−7.2%
56,446
R
33.8%Clinton19,605
38.4%Bush22,233
27.8%Perot16,088
−4.5%
57,926
R
37.9%Dukakis17,958
61.2%Bush29,015
0.9%Paul407
−23.3%
47,380
R
30.0%Mondale13,230
69.4%Reagan30,605
0.7%Bergland291
−39.4%
44,126
R
30.5%Carter13,147
57.8%Reagan24,925
11.7%Anderson5,033
−27.3%
43,105
R
36.3%Carter13,548
62.0%Ford23,110
1.7%McCarthy624
−25.6%
37,282
R
32.6%McGovern9,899
65.2%Nixon19,771
2.2%Schmitz673
−32.5%
30,343
R
32.9%Humphrey8,203
60.4%Nixon15,086
6.7%Wallace1,680
−27.6%
24,969
D
54.6%Johnson13,047
45.2%Goldwater10,807
0.2%Hass36
+9.4%
23,890
R
36.4%Kennedy8,695
63.4%Nixon15,173
0.2%Byrd52
−27.1%
23,920
R
27.7%Stevenson6,225
72.0%Eisenhower16,152
0.3%Andrews58
−44.2%
22,435
R
24.0%Stevenson5,101
75.5%Eisenhower16,038
0.5%Hallinan97
−51.5%
21,236
R
30.1%Truman4,564
67.6%Dewey10,251
2.4%Thurmond360
−37.5%
15,175
R
32.2%Roosevelt5,044
67.0%Dewey10,494
0.7%Thomas114
−34.8%
15,652
R
35.8%Roosevelt6,465
63.8%Willkie11,500
0.4%Thomas69
−27.9%
18,034
D
47.3%Roosevelt8,007
47.1%Landon7,965
5.6%Lemke941
+0.2%
16,913
D
49.9%Roosevelt7,734
46.9%Hoover7,269
3.2%Thomas502
+3.0%
15,505
R
24.5%Smith2,873
74.9%Hoover8,787
0.7%Thomas79
−50.4%
11,739
R
10.8%Davis1,262
74.2%Coolidge8,691
15.0%La Follette1,757
−63.4%
11,710
R
19.3%Cox2,210
75.5%Harding8,622
5.2%Debs594
−56.1%
11,426
R
41.5%Wilson3,811
49.3%Hughes4,525
9.2%Benson842
−7.8%
9,178
O
21.3%Wilson1,900
28.4%Taft2,536
50.3%Roosevelt4,485
Roosevelt +21.8
8,921
R
27.3%Bryan2,762
65.9%Taft6,659
6.8%Debs687
−38.6%
10,108
R
15.1%Parker1,489
79.0%Roosevelt7,783
5.9%Debs579
−63.9%
9,851
R
27.2%Bryan2,907
69.1%McKinley7,379
3.7%Woolley393
−41.9%
10,679
R
35.6%Bryan3,660
60.7%McKinley6,241
3.8%Palmer387
−25.1%
10,288
R
32.3%Cleveland2,380
54.3%Harrison3,996
13.4%Weaver983
−22.0%
7,359
presidential history
Presidential margin, 1892–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
Presidential margin over timeDemocratic-minus-Republican presidential margin from 1892 to 2024. Most recent: −5.5% in 2024.flipped R · 1968−5.5%DR18922024
Presidential margin over time
YearMargin (D minus R)
1892−22.0%
1896−25.1%
1900−41.9%
1904−63.9%
1908−38.6%
1912−7.1%
1916−7.8%
1920−56.1%
1924−63.4%
1928−50.4%
1932+3.0%
1936+0.2%
1940−27.9%
1944−34.8%
1948−37.5%
1952−51.5%
1956−44.2%
1960−27.1%
1964+9.4%
1968−27.6%
1972−32.5%
1976−25.6%
1980−27.3%
1984−39.4%
1988−23.3%
1992−4.5%
1996−7.2%
2000−18.2%
2004−17.5%
2008−1.2%
2012−10.6%
2016−14.2%
2020−6.5%
2024−5.5%
DemocraticRepublican
voter registration
Registered voters
Total registered voters, over time
Voter registration in Traverse City, MITotal registered voters, 2016–2024. Latest 140,739 in 2024.35.2K70.4K105.6K140.7K140.7K20162024
Registered voters
Voter registration in Traverse City, MI
YearTotal registered
2016123,754
2018125,273
2020135,061
2022137,491
2024140,739
Source: U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAVS)

Traverse City anchors a Grand Traverse County metro that has shifted from reliably Republican to a closely contested swing zone, driven by an influx of remote workers and college-educated migrants drawn to its recreation economy.

Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 9.4 points in 1964 and a Republican high of 63.9 points in 1904. Between 2020 and 2024 the metro moved 1.0 points toward the Democratic candidate; the 2024 margin was 5.5 points.

A population of 155,449, a 91% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $81,911 describe the metro. The metro's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Petoskey, MI and Midland, MI.

Political twins — metros

The metros whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.

Petoskey, MI
92.6twin score
12-yr trendmedian agecollege share≠ population scale
Midland, MI
88.9twin score
12-yr trend% Whitecollege share≠ % unaffiliated
Steamboat Springs, CO
80.4twin score
12-yr trend% unaffiliatedcollege share≠ population scale

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.

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.
Traverse City, MI, Michigan. Akashic. https://akashic.app/cbsa/45900/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
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Places within Traverse City, MI

counties4
Benzie CountyGrand Traverse CountyKalkaska CountyLeelanau County

Frequently asked questions

How did Traverse City, MI, Michigan vote in 2024?
In 2024, Traverse City, MI, Michigan voted Republican by 5.5 points (R+5.5), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 104,832 votes cast, 48,731 went Democratic and 54,502 went Republican.
When did Traverse City, MI, Michigan last vote Democratic?
The most recent presidential election in which Traverse City, MI, Michigan voted Democratic was 1964.
How many people live in Traverse City, MI, Michigan?
Traverse City, MI, Michigan has a population of 155,449 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Traverse City, MI, Michigan?
Median household income in Traverse City, MI, Michigan is $81,911 — above the national median of $80,734. The Michigan state median is $72,875.
What is the political history of Traverse City, MI, Michigan?
Akashic tracks 34 presidential elections in Traverse City, MI, Michigan from 1892 to 2024. Of those, 3 went Democratic and 30 went Republican.