Big Rapids, MI
Latest: 2024
Safe Republican — 41K residents — 1 counties
Race & ancestry
| Group | % |
|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 89.6% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(8) | 3.0% |
▶Black / African American(5) | 2.2% |
▶Asian(6) | 0.7% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(5) | 0.3% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(3) | 0.5% |
Multiracial / Other | 4.0% |
Religious adherence
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents |
|---|---|---|
| Evangelical Protestant | 11.6% | 41.2% |
| Catholic | 10.7% | 37.9% |
| Mainline Protestant | 4.1% | 14.4% |
| Other | 1.8% | 6.5% |
| LDS (Mormon) | 0.8% | 3.0% |
| Non-religious | 71.8% | — |
Presidential results
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Trump+30.0 |
| 2020 | Trump+28.0 |
| 2016 | Trump+25.9 |
| 2012 | Romney+9.8 |
| 2008 | McCain+0.7 |
| 2004 | Bush+11.3 |
| 2000 | Bush+12.0 |
| 1996 | Clinton+8.2 |
| 1992 | Clinton+0.3 |
Big Rapids, MI is a metro area that has a population of 41,242. In the 2024 presidential election, it voted Republican with a margin of R+30.0. Akashic Edge tracks 40 presidential elections here, dating back to 1868.
| Year | Dem % | Rep % | Margin | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 34.2% | 64.2% | R+30.0 | R+2.1 |
| 2020 | 35.0% | 63.0% | R+28.0 | R+2.0 |
| 2016 | 33.8% | 59.7% | R+25.9 | R+16.2 |
| 2012 | 44.3% | 54.0% | R+9.8 | R+9.0 |
| 2008 | 48.7% | 49.4% | R+0.7 | D+10.5 |
| 2004 | 44.0% | 55.2% | R+11.3 | D+0.7 |
| 2000 | 42.7% | 54.7% | R+12.0 | R+20.2 |
| 1996 | 48.5% | 40.3% | D+8.2 | D+7.9 |
| 1992 | 38.5% | 38.2% | D+0.3 | D+26.9 |
| 1988 | 36.5% | 63.0% | R+26.5 | D+11.3 |
| 1984 | 30.8% | 68.7% | R+37.9 | R+20.5 |
| 1980 | 36.0% | 53.4% | R+17.4 | D+3.6 |
| 1976 | 38.7% | 59.6% | R+21.0 | D+9.2 |
| 1972 | 34.1% | 64.3% | R+30.2 | R+2.7 |
| 1968 | 32.5% | 60.0% | R+27.5 | R+37.4 |
| 1964 | 54.9% | 45.0% | D+9.9 | D+47.9 |
| 1960 | 30.9% | 68.9% | R+38.0 | D+13.2 |
| 1956 | 24.3% | 75.4% | R+51.2 | D+3.0 |
| 1952 | 22.3% | 76.5% | R+54.2 | R+14.0 |
| 1948 | 28.3% | 68.4% | R+40.1 | — |
What defines Big Rapids, MI?
Big Rapids, MI has been trending Republican — 20pp redder over the last 4 presidential cycles.
Constituent Counties
Similar metro areas
Nearest neighbors matched on the same place-page feature set used across the dossier system.
Indiana, PA
Small-town rural republican 3
Lock Haven, PA
Small-town rural republican 3
Hillsdale, MI
Small-town rural republican 3
Alpena, MI
Small-town rural republican
Meadville, PA
Small-town rural republican 3
Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA
Small-town rural republican 3
Bradford, PA
Small-town rural republican 3
Ashland, OH
Small-town rural republican 3
Counties in Big Rapids, MI
2024 presidential results across the counties that make up this geography.
Sort:
| County | Pop. | Margin | Dem | Rep | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mecosta | 41K | R+30.1 | 7,688 | 14,445 | 22,489 | 100.0% |
1 countiesTotal votes: 22,489
Ask the Historian
Explore Big Rapids, MI's political evolution with the Historian
Key Insights
High-confidence patterns distilled from this geography's election history.
- Has voted Republican in the last 5 presidential elections
- Latest election (2024) was a Republican landslide with a 30.0% margin
- The 2008 election was decided by just 0.7 points — razor-thin
Who Lives Here
A race-first Census view with ancestry expansion where source coverage is strong enough to support detail.
Census race profile
Major Census race and ethnicity groups shown as a share of total population.
| Group | Big Rapids, MI | National |
|---|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 89.6% | 57.4% |
Multiracial / Other | 4.0% | 4.0% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(8) | 3.0% | 19.3% |
▶Black / African American(5) | 2.2% | 12.2% |
▶Asian(6) | 0.7% | 6.0% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(3) | 0.5% | 0.9% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(5) | 0.3% | 0.9% |
Method notes
Religious Adherents
Population that are religious adherents:
28.2%
Catholic-Evangelical edge: -7.8pp (vs national 4.5pp). A moderate religious balance between Catholic and Evangelical traditions.
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents | US Pop | US Adherents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11.6% | 41.2% | — | — | |
| 10.7% | 37.9% | — | — | |
| 4.1% | 14.4% | — | — | |
| 1.8% | 6.5% | — | — | |
LDS (Mormon) | 0.8% | 3.0% | — | — |
Non-religiousPopulation | 71.8% | — | — | — |
Who lives in the Big Rapids, MI metro area? 41,242 residents across 1 counties.
Demographics
Read this geography's profile in three layers: local, state (where available), and national baseline.
22% of adults hold a bachelor's degree — 11pp below the national average. Places with similar education levels vote R+9 on average nationally.
Population & electorate
Scale, voting-age share, and this geography's footprint inside the national electorate.
Total population
41K
Share of U.S. population
0.01%
Voting-age population
75.5%
Economic profile
Income, attainment, and ownership indicators that often shape coalition structure and turnout behavior.
Median household income
$60,951
Poverty rate
19.9%
College degree
22.4%
Homeownership
76.9%
Community profile
Age structure, language use, and nativity signals that explain how this geography differs from state and nation.
Median age
40.0 yrs
Age 18–29
20.4%
Age 65+
20.4%
Foreign born
2.0%
Non-English at home
6.1%
English only
93.9%
Turnout in Big Rapids, MI
Estimated using 2020 Census voting-age population.
72.2%
+4.6pp
31,134
1988–2024
How competitive is Big Rapids, MI?
Safe RAvg margin: R+28.0 (last 3 elections)
2008
R+0.7
2012
R+9.8
2016
R+25.9
2020
R+28.0
2024
R+30.0
29.3pp
1
R+18.9
Do voters in Big Rapids, MI split their tickets?
Divergence between offices in the same election reveals persuadable voters.
Moderate splitting (61/100)
| Offices | Margin A | Margin B | Split |
|---|---|---|---|
| President vs Senate | R+30.0 | R+29.3 | 0.8pp |
Average divergence across office pairs: 8.2pp
Located In
Big Rapids, MI sits inside these higher-level geographies.
Unlock Metro Area Analytics
Advance from the public dossier into precinct-level, insight-rich district intelligence.
Precinct data, Smart Insights, full history, and export controls tailored to place pages.
Precinct-Level Data
See results for every neighborhood and voting precinct
Smart Insights
Automated highlights from recent election patterns
Full Historical Access
165 years of election data at every level of geography
CSV Exports
Download any table or chart as a CSV file