Williston, North Dakota
Presidential margin, 2004–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
| Year | Margin (D minus R) |
|---|---|
| 2004 | −43.5% |
| 2008 | −35.2% |
| 2012 | −48.4% |
| 2016 | −62.6% |
| 2020 | −62.9% |
| 2024 | −63.9% |
| Year | Won | Democratic | Republican | Other | Margin | Swing | vs U.S. | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 16.8%Harris1,652 | 80.7%Trump7,953 | 2.5% | R+63.9 | R+1.0 | R+62.5 | 9,856 | |
| R | 16.9%Biden1,606 | 79.9%Trump7,581 | 3.2% | R+62.9 | R+0.3 | R+67.4 | 9,494 | |
| R | 14.5%Clinton1,229 | 77.1%Trump6,556 | 8.4% | R+62.6 | R+14.2 | R+64.7 | 8,503 | |
| R | 24.2%Obama1,699 | 72.6%Romney5,103 | 3.3% | R+48.4 | R+13.2 | R+52.3 | 7,032 | |
| R | 31.1%Obama2,094 | 66.4%McCain4,462 | 2.5% | R+35.2 | D+8.3 | R+42.5 | 6,724 | |
| R | 28.1%Kerry1,746 | 71.6%Bush4,450 | 0.3% | R+43.5 | — | R+41.1 | 6,212 |
Williston's population more than doubled during the Bakken shale surge, creating an unusually transient electorate that makes cycle-over-cycle comparisons difficult and turnout projections less reliable than in stable-population cities.
Across the recorded series it reached a Republican high of 63.9 points in 2024. Between 2020 and 2024 the city moved 1.0 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 63.9 points.
A population of 28,056, a 75% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $79,381 describe the city. The city's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Gillette and Dickinson.
The cities 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 →
Williston, North Dakota. Akashic. https://akashic.app/city/3886220/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.