- Lead
- 8,847
- Total
- 17,740
- vs nation
- R+48.4
- Turnout
- 67.3%
Whitley County, IN
President margin by year
Place winner margin
President results by year
2024 turnout 67.3% of 26,644 citizens 18+
- Lead
- 8,628
- Total
- 17,556
- vs nation
- R+53.6
- Turnout
- 68.4%
- Lead
- 7,978
- Total
- 15,758
- vs nation
- R+52.7
- Turnout
- 63.1%
- Lead
- 5,838
- Total
- 15,032
- vs nation
- R+42.7
- Turnout
- —
- Lead
- 3,262
- Total
- 15,188
- vs nation
- R+28.7
- Turnout
- —
- Lead
- 5,632
- Total
- 13,481
- vs nation
- R+39.3
- Turnout
- —
- Lead
- 3,973
- Total
- 12,432
- vs nation
- R+32.5
- Turnout
- —
- Lead
- 1,789
- Total
- 11,625
- vs nation
- R+23.9
- Turnout
- —
Key facts
- 2024 presidential margin
- R+49.9MIT Election Lab
- Population
- 34,6182024 5-year
- Median household income
- $78,0832024 5-year
- White (non-Hispanic)
- 91.9%2024 5-year
- Black
- 0.2%2024 5-year
- Hispanic / Latino
- 2.8%2024 5-year
- Peak Democratic margin
- D+24.9 in 1912MIT Election Lab
- Peak Republican margin
- R+50.6 in 2016MIT Election Lab
- Most similar
- Wabash County, IN · twin score 94.0
Midterm durability
Total general-election participants divided by same-year citizen voting-age population. These are total ballots or participating voters—not presidential candidate votes.
- 2024 total turnout
- 67.3%17,928 participants ÷ 26,644 CVAP
- 2020→2022 drop-off
- +23.9 ptsPresidential-dependent
- Drop-off versus state
- -1.2 ptsPositive means a larger decline than the statewide pattern
- Mechanical 2026 scenario
- 43.4%–56.6%Recent-cycle and two-cycle persistence scenarios; not a forecast
| Election | Participants | CVAP | Turnout | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 · Presidential | 16,058 | 25,437 | 63.1% | A/A |
| 2018 · Midterm | 16,865 | 25,651 | 65.7% | A/A |
| 2020 · Presidential | 17,761 | 25,959 | 68.4% | A/A |
| 2022 · Midterm | 11,695 | 26,278 | 44.5% | A/A |
| 2024 · Presidential | 17,928 | 26,644 | 67.3% | A/A |
Sources and methods
- 2016: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 293/111.
- 2018: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 297/138.
- 2020: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 301/2.
- 2022: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 306/183.
- 2024: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 311/228.
Precinct data
Results by precinct
67 precincts · 17,740 votes
Precinct boundaries and identifiers are cycle-specific. This table does not join rows across years without a validated crosswalk.
| Precinct -THORNCREEK SOUTHTHORNCREEK SOUTH | 202 | 722 | 20 | 944 | 21.4% | 76.5% | R+55.1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precinct -JEFFERSON EASTJEFFERSON EAST | 236 | 627 | 11 | 874 | 27.0% | 71.7% | R+44.7 |
| Precinct -COLUMBIA 2COLUMBIA 2 | 245 | 600 | 15 | 860 | 28.5% | 69.8% | R+41.3 |
| Precinct -COLUMBIA SOUTHCOLUMBIA SOUTH | 158 | 584 | 29 | 771 | 20.5% | 75.7% | R+55.3 |
| Precinct -SMITH NORTHWESTSMITH NORTHWEST | 167 | 581 | 8 | 756 | 22.1% | 76.9% | R+54.8 |
| Precinct -THORNCREEK NORTHWESTTHORNCREEK NORTHWEST | 178 | 540 | 17 | 735 | 24.2% | 73.5% | R+49.3 |
| Precinct -COLUMBIA 5COLUMBIA 5 | 219 | 486 | 12 | 717 | 30.5% | 67.8% | R+37.2 |
| Precinct -SMITH NORTHEASTSMITH NORTHEAST | 169 | 506 | 6 | 681 | 24.8% | 74.3% | R+49.5 |
| Precinct -CLEVELAND NORTHWESTCLEVELAND NORTHWEST | 161 | 449 | 17 | 627 | 25.7% | 71.6% | R+45.9 |
| Precinct -TROYTROY | 119 | 488 | 16 | 623 | 19.1% | 78.3% | R+59.2 |
| Precinct -COLUMBIA 6COLUMBIA 6 | 176 | 401 | 12 | 589 | 29.9% | 68.1% | R+38.2 |
| Precinct -COLUMBIA 1COLUMBIA 1 | 183 | 393 | 10 | 586 | 31.2% | 67.1% | R+35.8 |
| Precinct -COLUMBIA 7COLUMBIA 7 | 151 | 423 | 11 | 585 | 25.8% | 72.3% | R+46.5 |
| Precinct -UNION WESTUNION WEST | 132 | 433 | 11 | 576 | 22.9% | 75.2% | R+52.3 |
| Precinct -UNION EASTUNION EAST | 119 | 435 | 3 | 557 | 21.4% | 78.1% | R+56.7 |
| Precinct -JEFFERSON WESTJEFFERSON WEST | 131 | 388 | 11 | 530 | 24.7% | 73.2% | R+48.5 |
| Precinct -CLEVELAND NORTHEASTCLEVELAND NORTHEAST | 113 | 396 | 14 | 523 | 21.6% | 75.7% | R+54.1 |
| Precinct -COLUMBIA 4COLUMBIA 4 | 140 | 363 | 14 | 517 | 27.1% | 70.2% | R+43.1 |
| Precinct -RICHLAND SOUTHRICHLAND SOUTH | 78 | 423 | 6 | 507 | 15.4% | 83.4% | R+68.0 |
| Precinct -SMITH WESTSMITH WEST | 92 | 397 | 12 | 501 | 18.4% | 79.2% | R+60.9 |
| Precinct -ETNAETNA | 127 | 303 | 9 | 439 | 28.9% | 69.0% | R+40.1 |
| Precinct -THORNCREEK NORTHEASTTHORNCREEK NORTHEAST | 116 | 315 | 7 | 438 | 26.5% | 71.9% | R+45.4 |
| Precinct -RICHLAND NORTHRICHLAND NORTH | 88 | 335 | 8 | 431 | 20.4% | 77.7% | R+57.3 |
| Precinct -THORNCREEK NORTHTHORNCREEK NORTH | 123 | 299 | 8 | 430 | 28.6% | 69.5% | R+40.9 |
| Precinct -SMITH SOUTHSMITH SOUTH | 89 | 319 | 4 | 412 | 21.6% | 77.4% | R+55.8 |
| Precinct -COLUMBIA 3COLUMBIA 3 | 112 | 262 | 10 | 384 | 29.2% | 68.2% | R+39.1 |
| Precinct -WASHINGTON NORTHWASHINGTON NORTH | 67 | 288 | 5 | 360 | 18.6% | 80.0% | R+61.4 |
| Precinct -SMITH EASTSMITH EAST | 77 | 264 | 7 | 348 | 22.1% | 75.9% | R+53.7 |
| Precinct -CLEVELAND SOUTHCLEVELAND SOUTH | 61 | 280 | 5 | 346 | 17.6% | 80.9% | R+63.3 |
| Precinct -WASHINGTON SOUTHWASHINGTON SOUTH | 59 | 253 | 6 | 318 | 18.6% | 79.6% | R+61.0 |
| Precinct -COLUMBIA NORTHEASTCOLUMBIA NORTHEAST | 58 | 239 | 9 | 306 | 19.0% | 78.1% | R+59.2 |
| Precinct -UNION COLUMBIA CITYUNION COLUMBIA CITY | 89 | 164 | 1 | 254 | 35.0% | 64.6% | R+29.5 |
| Precinct -COLUMBIA NORTHWESTCOLUMBIA NORTHWEST | 40 | 166 | 9 | 215 | 18.6% | 77.2% | R+58.6 |
| CLEVELAND NORTHEAST18_1818300010 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| CLEVELAND NORTHWEST18_1818300020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| CLEVELAND SOUTH18_1818300030 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| COLUMBIA 118_1818300040 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| COLUMBIA 218_1818300050 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| COLUMBIA 318_1818300060 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| COLUMBIA 418_1818300070 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| COLUMBIA 518_1818300080 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| COLUMBIA 618_1818300090 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| COLUMBIA 718_1818300100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| COLUMBIA 818_1818300110 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| COLUMBIA NORTHEAST18_1818300120 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| COLUMBIA NORTHWEST18_1818300130 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| COLUMBIA SOUTH18_1818300140 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| ETNA18_1818300150 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| JEFFERSON EAST18_1818300160 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| JEFFERSON WEST18_1818300170 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| RICHLAND NORTH18_1818300180 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| RICHLAND SOUTH18_1818300190 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| SMITH EAST18_1818300200 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| SMITH NORTHEAST18_1818300210 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| SMITH NORTHWEST18_1818300220 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| SMITH SOUTH18_1818300230 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| SMITH WEST18_1818300240 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| THORNCREEK NORTH18_1818300250 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| THORNCREEK NORTHEAST18_1818300260 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| THORNCREEK NORTHWEST18_1818300270 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| THORNCREEK SOUTH18_1818300280 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| TROY18_1818300290 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| UNION COLUMBIA CITY18_1818300300 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| UNION EAST18_1818300310 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| UNION WEST18_1818300320 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| WASHINGTON NORTH18_1818300330 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| WASHINGTON SOUTH18_1818300340 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
Presidential margin, 1892–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
| Year | Margin (D minus R) |
|---|---|
| 1892 | +6.3% |
| 1896 | +5.3% |
| 1900 | +1.9% |
| 1904 | −1.6% |
| 1908 | +3.9% |
| 1912 | +24.9% |
| 1916 | +6.5% |
| 1920 | −7.0% |
| 1924 | −11.6% |
| 1928 | −15.6% |
| 1932 | +17.9% |
| 1936 | +12.6% |
| 1940 | −7.3% |
| 1944 | −12.6% |
| 1948 | −5.2% |
| 1952 | −21.9% |
| 1956 | −26.9% |
| 1960 | −21.5% |
| 1964 | +8.4% |
| 1968 | −17.2% |
| 1972 | −32.0% |
| 1976 | −10.6% |
| 1980 | −20.7% |
| 1984 | −35.3% |
| 1988 | −35.5% |
| 1992 | −13.7% |
| 1996 | −15.4% |
| 2000 | −32.0% |
| 2004 | −41.8% |
| 2008 | −21.5% |
| 2012 | −38.8% |
| 2016 | −50.6% |
| 2020 | −49.1% |
| 2024 | −49.9% |
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.
| Year | Vote lead | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 23.2%3,810 | 76.8%12,580 | 16,390 |
U.S. Senate
Each row shows U.S. Senate votes counted inside this Place. “Vote lead” is the local lead here, not necessarily the winner of the full contest.
U.S. Senate special elections
Each row shows U.S. Senate special votes counted inside this Place. “Vote lead” is the local lead here, not necessarily the winner of the full contest.
Governor
Each row shows Governor votes counted inside this Place. “Vote lead” is the local lead here, not necessarily the winner of the full contest.
Registered voters
Total registered voters, over time
| Year | Total registered |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 22,711 |
| 2018 | 22,443 |
| 2020 | 23,538 |
| 2022 | 24,132 |
| 2024 | 24,632 |
Who moves in and out
Net migration over time, and who arrivals are — where they came from and what those places vote
+70 net domestic migration · 2025
Net +301 over 2011–2025 · gain loss
Arrivals reported $73,841 in average income, against $78,623 for residents who stayed — 6% lower. (IRS SOI, 2022–23)
The places arrivals came from lean R+29.6 on average — 20 points more Democratic-leaning than Whitley County, IN itself (R+49.9).
Where arrivals came from lean of each source
- Allen County, IN344R+12.5
- Kosciusko County, IN131R+52.2
- Noble County, IN81R+51.4
- Huntington County, IN38R+48.3
- DeKalb County, IN27R+47.1
Where departures went households, 2022–23
- Allen County, IN345
- Kosciusko County, IN110
- Noble County, IN100
- Huntington County, IN54
- DeKalb County, IN33
- Wabash County, IN25
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 | −82 |
| 2012 | −91 |
| 2013 | −144 |
| 2014 | +50 |
| 2015 | −73 |
| 2016 | −89 |
| 2017 | +172 |
| 2018 | +201 |
| 2019 | −192 |
| 2021 | +140 |
| 2022 | +151 |
| 2023 | +149 |
| 2024 | +39 |
| 2025 | +70 |
Whitley County, anchored by the small city of Columbia City, delivered a nearly 50-point Republican presidential margin in 2024, reflecting the deep rural conservatism that defines much of northeastern Indiana's agricultural corridor.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 24.9 points in 1912 and a Republican high of 50.6 points in 2016. Between 2020 and 2024 the county moved 0.7 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 49.9 points.
A population of 34,618, a 92% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $78,083 describe the county. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Wabash County and Huntington 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 →
Whitley County, Indiana. Akashic. https://akashic.app/county/18183/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.