45242 leans slightly Democratic by roughly 10 points: about 55% of voters vote Democratic and 45% Republican.
About 94% of adults in 45242 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 45242, ~52% vote Democratic, ~42% Republican, and ~6% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 45242 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 45242 leans more Democratic than 33 of 68 neighbors.
45242 runs about 21 points more Democratic than Ohio as a whole. Ohio leans Republican overall, while 45242 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 45242. The northeast side runs the most Democratic (D+19) and the southeast side runs the most Republican (R+6), a spread of about 24 points.
Why 45242 leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per zip code to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for 45242, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 68% of adults in 45242 hold a bachelor's degree, about 39 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and 45242 sits in the top fifth on density (about 93%, above 90% of zip codes). 45242 runs against the grain of Ohio, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; 45242, OH sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in 45242 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 45242 is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 74%, about 14 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 98% of adults in 45242 have completed high school, above 93% of zip codes. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Zip Codes
Zip Codes with Similar Populations
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Ohio Secretary of State, Elections, distributed by the Voting and Election Science Team. Demographic inputs come from the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-year estimates and the 2020 Decennial Census). Health and environmental inputs come from the CDC (PLACES and the Environmental Justice Index). Land cover comes from the USGS and EPA. Election-day and lead-up weather come from PRISM 4km daily grids and the NOAA Global Historical Climatology Network. Mail-voting and election-administration patterns come from the MIT Election Lab's Survey of the Performance of American Elections. Block-group crime detail comes from CrimeGrade. Internet data and modeling support provided by ISPreports.org.
Modeling and analysis by the BestNeighborhood data science team. Full methodology and findings: political spectrum map.
Methodology reviewed by the BestNeighborhood data team. Last updated May 2026.