Now that we’re headed towards the next big election, we wanted to get a better sense of what parts of Idaho would be the most likely to back Donald Trump again.
Specifically, which cities have the highest number of conservative voters in the Gem State?
To do so, we used Saturday Night Science to measure how each city in Idaho 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.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
If you’re wondering, Hailey is the most liberal city in Idaho of all those we measured.
And to be clear, we didn’t form this list based on our own biases — we relied on the cold hard data. For more on how we ran the numbers, keep on reading. Then we’ll take a closer look at each of our top 10 most conservative cities in Idaho.
Additional reading about Idaho and the most conservative places in the country:
The 10 Most Conservative Places In Idaho For 2023
Percent Republican: 87.7%
More on Preston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Percent Republican: 82.1%
More on Burley: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Percent Republican: 79.8%
More on Emmett: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Percent Republican: 79.2%
More on Rexburg: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Percent Republican: 78.5%
More on Payette: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Percent Republican: 78.5%
More on Fruitland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Percent Republican: 78.4%
More on Rupert: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Percent Republican: 77.7%
More on Weiser: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Percent Republican: 76.5%
More on Blackfoot: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Percent Republican: 73.4%
More on Jerome: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
How we determined the most conservative cities in Idaho for 2023
To find the most conservative places in Idaho, 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 Idaho over 5,000 people based on the 2017-2021 American Community Survey. That left us with 33 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 33 for each criterion, where number one was the most conservative.
The winner, Preston, is “The Most Conservative City in Idaho For 2023”. The most liberal place in Idaho was Hailey.
We updated this article for 2023. This report is our tenth time ranking the most conservative places to live in Idaho.
Summing Up The Conservative Strongholds in Idaho
Well, there you have it, the places in Idaho that have the highest number of conservatives per capita, with Preston ranking as the most conservative in the entire state.
If you’re curious, here are the least conservative cities in Idaho:
- Hailey
- Moscow
- Garden City
For more Idaho reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Idaho
- Cheapest Places To Live In Idaho
- Most Dangerous Cities In Idaho
- Richest Cities In Idaho
- Safest Places In Idaho
- Worst Places To Live In Idaho
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Idaho
Most Conservative Places In Idaho
| Rank | City | % Conservative |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Preston, ID | 87.7% |
| 2 | Burley, ID | 82.1% |
| 3 | Emmett, ID | 79.8% |
| 4 | Rexburg, ID | 79.2% |
| 5 | Payette, ID | 78.5% |
| 6 | Fruitland, ID | 78.5% |
| 7 | Rupert, ID | 78.4% |
| 8 | Weiser, ID | 77.7% |
| 9 | Blackfoot, ID | 76.5% |
| 10 | Jerome, ID | 73.4% |
| 11 | Mountain Home, ID | 71.0% |
| 12 | Twin Falls, ID | 70.9% |
| 13 | Coeur D’alene, ID | 70.2% |
| 14 | Rathdrum, ID | 70.2% |
| 15 | Post Falls, ID | 70.2% |
| 16 | Hayden, ID | 70.2% |
| 17 | Idaho Falls, ID | 70.0% |
| 18 | Ammon, ID | 70.0% |
| 19 | Pocatello, ID | 68.8% |
| 20 | Middleton, ID | 68.3% |
| 21 | Star, ID | 68.3% |
| 22 | Nampa, ID | 68.3% |
| 23 | Caldwell, ID | 68.3% |
| 24 | Sandpoint, ID | 67.2% |
| 25 | Lewiston, ID | 65.5% |
| 26 | Chubbuck, ID | 59.0% |
| 27 | Boise City, ID | 50.4% |
| 28 | Meridian, ID | 50.4% |
| 29 | Kuna, ID | 50.4% |
| 30 | Eagle, ID | 50.4% |
| 31 | Garden City, ID | 50.4% |
| 32 | Moscow, ID | 46.0% |
| 33 | Hailey, ID | 30.3% |
