akashic
1876–2024
Kalamazoo County, Michigan
Kalamazoo County·Michigan

Kalamazoo County has voted Democratic for as long as anyone can remember.

A mid-size college hub that leans reliably Democratic in statewide contests

18762024·38 elections
Kalamazoo County, Michigan · Charles W. Chapman · Wikimedia Commons
Latest
D+18
in 2024
Archetype
Democratic loyalist
since the recent cycles
Population
262,375
2024 ACS
Most similar
Bernalillo County
NM · similarity 0.99
212 precincts · 146,119 votes cast
Harris · D+18
Margin
Turnout
Harris +50
Trump +50
Real precinct boundaries. Hover for vote totals.
YearWonMarginDemocraticRepublicanTotal
2024D
+17.7%
84,50158,671146,119
2020D
+18.7%
83,68656,823143,414
2016D
+12.8%
67,14851,034126,299
2012D
+13.3%
69,05152,662123,690
2008D
+19.5%
77,05151,554130,781
2004D
+3.6%
61,46257,147119,783
2000D
+0.5%
48,80748,254100,656
1996D
+5.3%
45,64440,70393,135
1992D
+5.3%
43,56838,035103,858
1988R
−11.9%
39,45750,20590,235
1984R
−28.3%
32,46058,32791,388
1980R
−14.8%
34,52848,66995,617
1976R
−20.7%
33,41151,46287,085
1972R
−19.9%
33,32450,40585,770
1968R
−18.1%
26,43739,79673,832
1964D
+20.1%
40,78927,10068,104
1960R
−27.5%
24,28642,80067,434
1956R
−41.5%
17,80843,30561,433
1952R
−34.2%
18,96738,84758,185
1948R
−17.8%
16,39323,79941,517
1944R
−21.0%
16,22324,97441,654
1940R
−18.0%
17,73325,59643,622
1936D
+0.1%
17,87017,82437,380
1932R
−13.6%
13,97418,58433,785
1928R
−59.3%
5,94623,62629,830
1924R
−60.7%
3,58718,45124,500
1920R
−41.7%
5,27113,76520,384
1916D
+8.6%
7,1645,95114,173
1912D
+8.3%
3,6602,64212,308
1908R
−17.1%
4,4776,51111,918
1904R
−33.9%
3,2647,16311,491
1900R
−11.6%
4,7076,01011,209
1896R
−4.0%
5,4345,89111,515
1892R
−9.7%
4,0184,9689,825
1888
No data
1884
No data
1880
No data
1876
No data
Demographics
Race, ethnicity, and ancestry
Click any group to see the ancestries typically reported within it.
American
100.0%
Polish
1.5%
African American
8.8%
Multiple ancestry combinations reported; no single grouping above 1%.
American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander combined.
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release. Ancestry is a self-reported, multiple-response item; ancestry percentages do not sum to the parent race percentage.
Language at home
Population aged 5 and older
0.0%
speak English only
Source · ACS 5-year estimates, 2024.
Religious adherents
Adherents per capita by tradition
Catholic & Orthodox
12.1%
Other Christian
11.4%
Mainline Protestant
6.8%
Methodist
2.5%
Baptist
2.3%
Non-Christian
2.2%
Pentecostal & Holiness
1.7%
Source · 2020 US Religion Census. Remaining 61.0% of residents not counted as adherents by any reporting body.

Home to Western Michigan University and a mid-sized manufacturing base, Kalamazoo County has voted Democratic by double digits in recent presidential cycles, with its urban core offsetting more competitive townships on its edges.

The Democratic margin in Kalamazoo County reached its widest at twenty points in 1964. The margin in 2024 was eighteen points — still decisive.

Kalamazoo County's loyalty is rooted in its place. Median household income of $72,532, a 76% non-Hispanic-white share, and a population of 262,375 together describe a community whose political habits are deeply settled. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Bernalillo County and Monroe County.