Now that we’re headed towards the next big election, we wanted to get a better sense of what parts of Michigan would be the most likely to back Donald Trump again.
Specifically, which cities have the highest number of conservative voters in the Wolverine State?
To do so, we used Saturday Night Science to measure how each city in Michigan with populations greater than 5,000 voted in past elections. The cities with the highest percentage of voters who voted Republican were named the most conservative cities in the state.
73.1% Republican vote · #1 most conservative in Michigan
Located in
Hillsdale County, MichiganHillsdale is a city in the state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,305. It is the county seat of Hillsdale County. The city is the home of Hillsdale College, a private liberal arts college noted for its academics and its influence in politics and education.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
68.5% Republican vote · #2 most conservative in Michigan
Located in
Branch County, MichiganColdwater is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,945. It is the county seat of Branch County, located in the center of the southern border of Michigan.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
68.0% Republican vote · #3 most conservative in Michigan
Located in
Montcalm County, MichiganGreenville is a city in Montcalm County of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 8,481 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
67.4% Republican vote · #4 most conservative in Michigan
Located in
Lapeer County, MichiganLapeer is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Lapeer County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,841. Most of the city was incorporated from land that was formerly in Lapeer Township, though portions were also annexed from Mayfield Township and Elba Township. The city government is politically independent of all three townships. Lapeer is in southern Michigan, east of Flint, on the Flint River. The name “Lapeer” is a corruption of the French la pierre, which means “the flint”.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
66.3% Republican vote · #5 most conservative in Michigan
Located in
Wexford County, MichiganCadillac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Wexford County. The population was 10,355 at the 2010 census. The city is situated at the junction of US 131, M-55 and M-115. The geographic center of Michigan is approximately five miles north-northwest of Cadillac.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
65.9% Republican vote · #6 most conservative in Michigan
Data | Movers
65.9% Republican vote · #6 most conservative in Michigan
Located in
Dickinson County, MichiganData | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
65.4% Republican vote · #8 most conservative in Michigan
Located in
Barry County, MichiganHastings is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, the county seat of Barry County as well as the county’s only city. The population was 7,350 at the 2010 census. The city borders Hastings Charter Township on the north, east, and south, and Rutland Charter Township on the west.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
64.9% Republican vote · #10 most conservative in Michigan
Located in
St. Joseph County, MichiganData | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
64.9% Republican vote · #10 most conservative in Michigan
Located in
St. Joseph County, MichiganSturgis is a city in St. Joseph County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 10,994 at the 2010 census. The city is located at the northeast corner of Sturgis Township and at the intersection of U.S. Highway 12 and M-66. Sturgis is just off the Michigan 90 Indiana Toll Road.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Michigan’s statewide median.
On the map
Mapping the conservative strongholds in Michigan
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the most conservative cities in Michigan for 2026
To find the most conservative places in Michigan, we used Saturday Night Science – the argument you’d make at a bar – to find the cities with the most conservatives.
We started by making a list of every city in Michigan over 5,000 people based on the 2020-2024 American Community Survey. That left us with 153 cities and towns.
We then measured the voting record and MIT election data to determine which places rock the most rightward in their allegiances by:
- Percentage Of Votes For The Republican President In 2020
Because no voting data exists at the city level, we used county-level election results from the 2020 election. We assigned every city in a county the percentage of votes that went to the Republicans, effectively extending the county’s results to the city level. In cases where larger cities encompassed an entire county, the election outcomes accurately reflected the city’s political landscape.
Next, we ranked each city from 1 to 153 for each criterion, where number one was the most conservative.
The winner, Hillsdale, is “The Most Conservative City in Michigan For 2026”. The most liberal place in Michigan was Chelsea.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the most conservative places to live in Michigan.
The full plate
Most Conservative Places In Michigan
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Conservative Score | Population | % Conservative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hillsdale | 1.00 | 8,002 | 73.1% |
| 2 | Coldwater | 2.00 | 13,671 | 68.5% |
| 3 | Greenville | 3.00 | 8,995 | 68.0% |
| 4 | Lapeer | 4.00 | 9,082 | 67.4% |
| 5 | Cadillac | 5.00 | 10,445 | 66.3% |
| 6 | Kingsford | 6.50 | 5,124 | 65.9% |
| 6 | Iron Mountain | 6.50 | 7,518 | 65.9% |
| 8 | Hastings | 8.00 | 7,520 | 65.4% |
| 9 | Three Rivers | 9.50 | 7,943 | 64.9% |
| 9 | Sturgis | 9.50 | 11,054 | 64.9% |
| 11 | Menominee | 11.00 | 8,326 | 64.4% |
| 13 | Port Huron | 13.50 | 28,620 | 64.3% |
| 13 | Marysville | 13.50 | 9,925 | 64.3% |
| 13 | St. Clair | 13.50 | 5,585 | 64.3% |
| 13 | Richmond | 13.50 | 5,855 | 64.3% |
| 16 | Ionia | 16.50 | 12,753 | 64.1% |
| 16 | Belding | 16.50 | 5,960 | 64.1% |
| 18 | Niles | 18.50 | 11,803 | 63.7% |
| 18 | Dowagiac | 18.50 | 5,732 | 63.7% |
| 20 | Alma | 20.50 | 9,396 | 63.3% |
| 20 | St. Louis | 20.50 | 7,367 | 63.3% |
| 22 | Big Rapids | 22.00 | 8,477 | 63.0% |
| 23 | Alpena | 23.00 | 10,154 | 63.0% |
| 24 | Gladstone | 24.50 | 5,253 | 62.4% |
| 24 | Escanaba | 24.50 | 12,354 | 62.4% |
| 26 | Allegan | 26.50 | 5,172 | 61.7% |
| 26 | Holland | 26.50 | 34,423 | 61.7% |
| 28 | Sault Ste. Marie | 28.00 | 13,335 | 60.5% |
| 30 | Fenton | 30.00 | 11,906 | 60.5% |
| 30 | Brighton | 30.00 | 7,688 | 60.5% |
| 30 | Howell | 30.00 | 10,021 | 60.5% |
| 33 | Dundee | 33.50 | 5,744 | 60.5% |
| 33 | Monroe | 33.50 | 20,320 | 60.5% |
| 33 | Milan | 33.50 | 5,987 | 60.5% |
| 33 | Flat Rock | 33.50 | 10,340 | 60.5% |
| 37 | Grand Haven | 37.50 | 10,996 | 59.8% |
| 37 | Hudsonville | 37.50 | 7,769 | 59.8% |
| 37 | Zeeland | 37.50 | 5,665 | 59.8% |
| 39 | Ludington | 40.00 | 7,676 | 59.2% |
| 40 | Adrian | 41.50 | 20,395 | 59.1% |
| 40 | Tecumseh | 41.50 | 8,646 | 59.1% |
| 42 | Owosso | 43.00 | 14,632 | 59.0% |
| 43 | Jackson | 44.00 | 31,058 | 58.6% |
| 44 | Manistee | 45.00 | 6,275 | 56.8% |
| 45 | Midland | 46.00 | 42,724 | 56.4% |
| 46 | Houghton | 47.00 | 8,474 | 56.1% |
| 47 | Bay City | 48.50 | 32,320 | 55.0% |
| 48 | Petoskey | 50.00 | 5,856 | 54.7% |
| 50 | Albion | 52.50 | 7,560 | 54.6% |
| 50 | Springfield | 52.50 | 5,269 | 54.6% |
| 50 | Marshall | 52.50 | 6,804 | 54.6% |
| 50 | Battle Creek | 52.50 | 52,374 | 54.6% |
| 58 | Sterling Heights | 60.50 | 133,573 | 53.4% |
| 58 | Warren | 60.50 | 137,928 | 53.4% |
| 58 | New Haven | 60.50 | 6,475 | 53.4% |
| 58 | Roseville | 60.50 | 47,123 | 53.4% |
| 58 | Eastpointe | 60.50 | 33,982 | 53.4% |
| 58 | Utica | 60.50 | 5,180 | 53.4% |
| 58 | Fraser | 60.50 | 14,583 | 53.4% |
| 58 | Mount Clemens | 60.50 | 15,511 | 53.4% |
| 58 | St. Clair Shores | 60.50 | 58,140 | 53.4% |
| 58 | Center Line | 60.50 | 8,463 | 53.4% |
| 58 | New Baltimore | 60.50 | 12,072 | 53.4% |
| 64 | St. Joseph | 68.00 | 7,986 | 52.8% |
| 64 | Benton Harbor | 68.00 | 8,953 | 52.8% |
| 67 | Grand Ledge | 71.50 | 7,804 | 52.4% |
| 67 | St. Johns | 71.50 | 7,715 | 52.4% |
| 67 | East Lansing | 71.50 | 45,758 | 52.4% |
| 67 | Lansing | 71.50 | 113,023 | 52.4% |
| 70 | Traverse City | 74.00 | 15,593 | 50.6% |
| 71 | Mount Pleasant | 75.00 | 21,236 | 50.4% |
| 72 | Charlotte | 77.50 | 9,277 | 49.4% |
| 72 | Eaton Rapids | 77.50 | 5,183 | 49.4% |
| 74 | Saginaw | 80.50 | 43,536 | 49.1% |
| 74 | Frankenmuth | 80.50 | 5,157 | 49.1% |
| 77 | Muskegon | 83.00 | 37,226 | 48.8% |
| 77 | Muskegon Heights | 83.00 | 9,841 | 48.8% |
| 77 | Norton Shores | 83.00 | 25,041 | 48.8% |
| 82 | Rockford | 89.00 | 6,218 | 45.9% |
| 82 | Kentwood | 89.00 | 54,296 | 45.9% |
| 82 | Walker | 89.00 | 25,386 | 45.9% |
| 82 | Grandville | 89.00 | 16,356 | 45.9% |
| 82 | Wyoming | 89.00 | 77,353 | 45.9% |
| 82 | Grand Rapids | 89.00 | 198,535 | 45.9% |
| 82 | East Grand Rapids | 89.00 | 11,445 | 45.9% |
| 88 | Davison | 96.00 | 5,076 | 44.6% |
| 88 | Swartz Creek | 96.00 | 5,853 | 44.6% |
| 88 | Burton | 96.00 | 29,500 | 44.6% |
| 88 | Flint | 96.00 | 80,175 | 44.6% |
| 88 | Flushing | 96.00 | 8,284 | 44.6% |
| 88 | Grand Blanc | 96.00 | 7,987 | 44.6% |
| 92 | Ishpeming | 100.50 | 6,181 | 43.5% |
| 92 | Marquette | 100.50 | 21,325 | 43.5% |
| 106 | Ferndale | 114.50 | 19,190 | 42.3% |
| 106 | Troy | 114.50 | 87,898 | 42.3% |
| 106 | South Lyon | 114.50 | 11,950 | 42.3% |
| 106 | Birmingham | 114.50 | 21,763 | 42.3% |
| 106 | Pontiac | 114.50 | 62,104 | 42.3% |
| 106 | Royal Oak | 114.50 | 57,950 | 42.3% |
| 106 | Auburn Hills | 114.50 | 25,105 | 42.3% |
Source: county-level 2020 election results, U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 153 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summing Up The Conservative Strongholds in Michigan
Well, there you have it, the places in Michigan that have the highest number of conservatives per capita, with Hillsdale ranking as the most conservative in the entire state.
The most conservative cities in Michigan are Hillsdale, Coldwater, Greenville, Lapeer, Cadillac, Kingsford, Iron Mountain, Hastings, Three Rivers, and Sturgis.
If you’re curious, here are the least conservative cities in Michigan. Not sold on Michigan? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
