One of the most enduring political trends in the United States over the last several decades is that urban areas and even many denser suburban areas are rapidly trending toward the Democratic Party. This trend abated a bit in 2020 (more on that later), but below are the few urban county holdouts that still favor the GOP.
Boise, Ada County, Idaho
Trump 50% Biden 46%
Maybe the biggest headscratcher of this list as Boise tends to present the image of a progressive, even slightly granola-y metropolis. However, Metropolitan Boiseans still favor the GOP by a comfortable margin, though national elections have been getting closer -- in 2016, Trump won by an even more comfortable 9 percent.
Spokane, Spokane County, Washington
Trump 50% Biden 46%
A mirror image of Boise, at least politically, Spokane County still favors the GOP but has generally been trending slightly more Democratic in recent years.
Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colo.
Trump 54% Biden 43%
With a population of nearly 500K, Colorado Springs is one of the largest cities in the American West and by some forecasts is projected to surpass Denver as the Colorado's largest city. But Colorado Springs is Denver's political opposite. Home to the US Air Force Academy and a mecca for evangelical Christians, it has long voted conservatively. Still, the county's politics are moderating. In 2004, Bush outperformed Kerry by more than 2 to 1 in El Paso County. In 2020, that gap closed to 11 percent.
Oklahoma City & Tulsa, Oklahoma & Tulsa Counties, Oklahoma
Oklahoma Cty: Trump 49% Biden 48% Tulsa Cty: Trump: 56% Biden 41%
Although still nominally Republican, Oklahoma County is one of the fastest Democratic trending places in the country. In 2004, the GOP took this county by 29 points. In 2020, just a single percentage point separated the two candidates. Tulsa County, on the other hand, remains one of the strongest GOP urban counties in the country.
Wichita, Sedgwick County, Kansas
Trump 55% Biden 43%
While the Kansas City suburbs of Kansas have trended more Democratic, the Wichita Area remains a Republican bulwark.
Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana
Trump 54% Biden 43%
In the last eighty years, Allen County has voted for a Democrat only once -- in 1964 for LBJ by a single point.
Ogden & Provo, Utah, Weber and Utah Counties, Utah
Weber Cty: Trump 59% Biden 36% Utah Cty: Trump 67% Biden 26%
Salt Lake County has trended to pretty solidly blue territory, but it's neighboring cities to the north and south, some of the most Mormon places in the country, rank among the most Republican loyal areas.
Knoxville, Knox County, Tenn.
Trump: 56% Biden: 41%
Knox County is home to a major city and the state's flagship university which usually helps Democrats. But in one of the nation's most conservative states, this county remains solidly conservative.
Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama
Trump: 53% Biden 45%
A technology rich and economically healthy metropolis, Huntsville is more sympathetic to Democrats than Alabamans in general, but still heavily leans toward the GOP.