Democratic country counties, 2004-2020

(Some counties in which the Democratic nominee got a higher vote share than Lyndon Johnson [or Barry Goldwater] and than every subsequent nominee, and over 60%.)

2020
Alameda, CA (back to 1880)
Contra Costa, CA (1936)
Marin, CA (back to 1880)
Monterey, CA (back to 1880)
Napa, CA (1920)
San Benito, CA (1952)
San Francisco, CA (back to 1880)
San Mateo, CA (back to 1880)
Santa Barbara, CA (1956)
Santa Cruz, CA (back to 1880)
Sonoma, CA (back to 1880)

Boulder, CO (1896)
Denver, CO (ever, first voted in 1904)
Pitkin, CO (1900)

Clarke, GA (1952)
DeKalb, GA (1936)
Fulton, GA (1944)

Blaine, ID (1920)

Johnson, IA (back to 1880)

Douglas, KS (1956)

Orleans, LA (1940)

Baltimore City, MD (back to 1892)
Charles, MD (back to 1892)
Howard, MD (back to 1892)
Montgomery, MD (back to 1892)

Barnstable, MA (1960)
Dukes, MA (1956)
Nantucket, MA (1956)

Washtenaw, MI (1928)

Hennepin, MN (1904)
Ramsey, MN (back to 1892)

Union, NJ (1956)

Bernalillo, NM (1956)

Tompkins, NY (1956)
Westchester, NY (1956)

Durham, NC (1944)
Orange, NC (1940)

Franklin, OH (1956)

Benton, OR (1956)
Hood River, OR (ever, first voted in 1908)
Multnomah, OR (back to 1880)
Washington, OR (1904)

Richland, SC (1944)

Davidson, TN (1944)

Travis, TX (1948)

Chittenden, VT (back to 1880)
Washington, VT (1956)

Albemarle, VA (1940)
Alexandria City, VA (1908)
Arlington, VA (back to 1880)
Charlottesville City, VA (1912)
Fairfax, VA (1916)
Fairfax City, VA (ever, first voted in 1964)
Falls Church City, VA (ever, first voted in 1952)
Fredericksburg City, VA (1940)
Richmond City, VA (1916)
Williamsburg City, VA (1936)

Jefferson, WA (1904)
King, WA (ever, first voted in 1892)
San Juan, WA (ever, first voted in 1892)

Dane, WI (1920)
Milwaukee, WI (1936)

2016
Santa Cruz, AZ (ever, first voted in 1912)

Imperial, CA (ever, first voted in 1908)
Los Angeles, CA (ever, first voted in 1852)
San Francisco, CA (back to 1880)
San Mateo, CA (back to 1880)
Santa Clara, CA (back to 1880)

DeKalb, GA (1944)

Orleans, LA (1944)

Montgomery, MD (back to 1892)

Manhattan, NY (back to 1884)
Westchester, NY (1956)

Durham, NC (1944)
Orange, NC (1940)

El Paso, TX (1948)

Alexandria City, VA (1912)
Arlington, VA (back to 1880)
Charlottesville City, VA (1936)
Falls Church City, VA (ever, first voted in 1952)
Williamsburg City, VA (1936)

2012
Bullock, AL (1948)
Greene, AL (1948)
Macon, AL (1948)

Santa Cruz, AZ (1936)

Alameda, CA (back to 1880)
Imperial, CA (1932)
Los Angeles, CA (1928)
Santa Clara, CA (back to 1880)

Gadsden, FL (1944)

Orleans, LA (1944)

Baltimore City, MD (back to 1892)
Prince George's, MD (back to 1892)

Camden, NJ (1936)
Essex, NJ (back to 1896)
Hudson, NJ (1936)
Passaic, NJ (1920)
Union, NJ (1956)

McKinley, NM (ever, first voted in 1912)

The Bronx, NY (ever, first voted in 1916)
Brooklyn, NY (back to 1884)
Queens, NY (back to 1884)

Durham, NC (1944)
Edgecombe, NC (1960)

Philadelphia, PA (back to 1880)

Allendale, SC (1948)
Bamberg, SC (1948)
Orangeburg, SC (1948)
Richland, SC (1948)
Williamsburg, SC (1956)

Buffalo, SD (ever, first voted in 1892)
Shannon, SD (ever, first voted in 1924)
Todd, SD (ever, first voted in 1924)

Cameron, TX (1936)
Hidalgo, TX (1932)
Willacy, TX (1936)

Washington, VT (1956)
Windham, VT (1956)

Franklin City, VA (ever, first voted in 1964)
Hampton City, VA (1944)
Norfolk City, VA (1940)
Petersburg City, VA (1912)
Portsmouth City, VA (1944)
Sussex, VA (1960)

Milwaukee, WI (1936)

2008
Bullock, AL (1948)
Greene, AL (1948)
Macon, AL (1948)

Santa Cruz, AZ (1936)

Alameda, CA (back to 1880)
Contra Costa, CA (1936)
Imperial, CA (1932)
Los Angeles, CA (1928)
Marin, CA (back to 1880)
Mendocino, CA (back to 1880)
Monterey, CA (back to 1880)
Napa, CA (1920)
San Francisco (back to 1880)
San Mateo, CA (back to 1880)
Santa Clara, CA (back to 1880)
Santa Cruz, CA (back to 1880)
Sonoma, CA (back to 1880)

Boulder, CO (1896)
Denver, CO (ever, first voted in 1904)
Pitkin, CO (1900)
San Miguel, CO (1896)

New Castle, DE (back to 1912)

DeKalb, GA (1944)
Hancock, GA (1952)

Blaine, ID (1920)

Cook, IL (back to 1892)

Lake, IN (1920)
Monroe, IN (1960)

Howard, IA (1952)
Johnson, IA (back to 1880)
Winneshiek, IA (1952)

Douglas, KS (1960)
Wyandotte, KS (back to 1880) 

Orleans, LA (1944)

Baltimore City, MD (back to 1892)
Montgomery, MD (back to 1892)
Prince George's, MD (back to 1892)

Dukes, MA (1956)
Franklin, MA (1924)
Nantucket, MA (1956)

Ingham, MI (1956)
Muskegon, MI (1928)
Washtenaw, MI (1928)

Cook, MN (1956)
Hennepin, MN (1920)

St Louis City, MO (back to 1888)

Big Horn, MT (ever, first voted 1916)
Glacier, MT (1936)
Missoula, MT (1936)
Roosevelt, MT (1936)

Essex, NJ (back to 1896)

Guadalupe, NM (ever, first voted in 1912)
McKinley, NM (ever, first voted in 1912)
Mora, NM (ever, first voted in 1912)
Rio Arriba, NM (ever, first voted in 1912)
San Miguel, NM (ever, first voted in 1912)
Santa Fe, NM (ever, first voted in 1912)
Taos, NM (ever, first voted in 1912)

The Bronx, NY (ever, first voted in 1916)
Manhattan, NY (back to 1884)
Queens, NY (back to 1884)
Tompkins, NY (1956)
Westchester, NY (1956)

Durham, NC (1944)
Edgecombe, NC (1960)
Orange, NC (1940)

Benson, ND (1952)
Rolette, ND (1932)
Sioux, ND (ever, first voted in 1916)

Athens, OH (1928)

Benton, OR (1960)
Multnomah, OR (back to 1880)

Philadelphia, PA (back to 1880)

Allendale, SC (1948)
Bamberg, SC (1952)
Orangeburg, SC (1948)
Williamsburg, SC (1956)

Buffalo, SD (ever, first voted in 1892)
Clay, SD (1952)
Dewey, SD (1952)
Shannon, SD (1924)
Todd, SD (ever, first voted in 1924)

Cameron, TX (1952)
Dimmit, TX (1932)
El Paso, TX (1948)
Hidalgo, TX (1932)
Zavala, TX (back to 1912)

Addison, VT (1956)
Bennington, VT (1956)
Chittenden, VT (1896)
Lamoille, VT (1960)
Washington, VT (1956)
Windham, VT (1956)
Windsor, VT (1956)

Alexandria City, VA (1936)
Arlington, VA (1928)
Brunswick, VA (1960)
Charlottesville City, VA (1936)
Falls Church City, VA (ever, first voted in 1952)
Franklin City, VA (ever, first voted in 1964)
Hampton City, VA (1944)
Martinsville City, VA (1944)
Norfolk City, VA (1940)
Petersburg City, VA (1912)
Portsmouth City, VA (1944)
Richmond City, VA (1936)
Sussex, VA (1960)
Williamsburg City, VA (1944)

King, WA (1904)
San Juan, WA (1904)

Crawford, WI (1952)
Dane, WI (1920)
Iowa, WI (1952)
Milwaukee, WI (1936)
Rock, WI (1956)
Sauk, WI (1960)

2004
Alameda, CA (back to 1880)
Marin, CA (back to 1880)
San Francisco, CA (back to 1880)
San Mateo, CA (1920)
Santa Clara, CA (1920)
Santa Cruz, CA (back to 1880)
Sonoma, CA (back to 1880)

Boulder, CO (1956)
Denver, CO (ever, first voted in 1904)
Pitkin, CO (1932)
San Miguel, CO (1896)

Gadsden, FL (1944)

Cook, IL (1920)

Orleans, LA (1944)

Prince George's, MD (back to 1892)

Dukes, MA (1956)
Franklin, MA (1956)

Washtenaw, MI (1956)

St Louis City, MO (back to 1888)

Santa Fe, NM (ever, first voted in 1912)
Taos, NM (ever, first voted in 1912)

Manhattan, NY (back to 1884)
Tompkins, NY (1960)

Durham, NC (1944)
Orange, NC (1944)

Sioux, ND (1952)

Athens, OH (1956)

Multnomah, OR (1904)

Philadelphia, PA (1904)

Allendale, SC (1948)
Orangeburg, SC (1948)

Dewey, SD (1952)
Todd, SD (1932)

Alexandria City, VA (1940)
Arlington, VA (1928)
Charlottesville City, VA (1936)
Falls Church City, VA (ever, first voted in 1952)
Petersburg City, VA (1936)
Richmond City, VA (1944)

King, WA (1936)
San Juan, WA (1956)

--

Shannon County, SD is a rare (possibly unique) example of a McGovern country county--Lyndon Johnson received 75.8% of its vote, and McGovern, 77.3%. 

Kerry did only 0.2% worse than Al Gore, but he experienced some substantial vote share increases in some of these counties. He improved on Gore's vote share by over 5% in Alameda (5.82%), Marin (8.9%), San Francisco (7.48%), San Mateo (5.19%), Santa Cruz (11.5%), Sonoma (7.7%), Boulder (16.2%), Denver (7.7%), Pitkin (15.4%), San Miguel (22.5%), Dukes (10.9%), Franklin (MA) (14.6%), Santa Fe (6.4%), Taos (9.5%), Tompkins (9.8%), Athens (11.52%), Multnomah (8.1%), Orangeburg (5.3%), Dewey (10.2%), Todd (5.7%), Alexandria (5.9%), Arlington (7.4%), Charlottesville (13.1%), Falls Church (9.1%), and San Juan (WA) (12.7%). Amongst these were both of the Ford-Mondale counties (Marin and Tompkins) and three of the seven counties that voted Republican in every election from at least 1944 through 1972 save 1964, voted for Carter in 1976, either voted for Carter again or gave Reagan a plurality in 1980, and then voted for Mondale in 1984. (Those three were Santa Cruz, CA, Dukes, MA, and Arlington, VA; the other four are Big Horn County, Montana, Lane County, Oregon [in which Kerry improved over Gore by 6.4%], and Mercer and Armstrong Counties, Pennsylvania.)

It's not necessarily surprising to see a large number of Obama 2008 country counties, given the sweeping nature of his victory that year. However, it is noteworthy that some Obama 2008 country counties have gone on to vote Republican: Howard, IA in 2016 and 2020 (in 2020 it was a Trump country county), Winneshiek, IA in 2016 and 2020, Roosevelt, MT in 2016 and 2020, Benson, ND in 2016 and 2020, Crawford, WI in 2016 and 2020, and Sauk, WI in 2016.

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