Aetna is a Democratic stronghold. About 88% of voters here vote Democratic and 12% Republican.
About 53% of adults in Aetna typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Aetna, ~47% vote Democratic, ~6% Republican, and ~47% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Aetna compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Aetna is the least Democratic-leaning.
Aetna runs about 95 points more Democratic than Indiana as a whole. Indiana leans Republican overall, while Aetna is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Aetna. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+81) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+69), a spread of about 12 points.
Why Aetna leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per neighborhood to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Aetna, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Aetna votes against the grain of Indiana. Indiana leans Republican overall, while Aetna runs about 95 points more Democratic.
Food insecurity and voter turnout
Places with high food insecurity tend to turn out at a lower rate; Aetna, Gary, IN sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Food insecurity does not directly drive turnout; it reflects economic hardship, which lines up with lower voting.
Why turnout in Aetna looks the way it does
Areas with high food insecurity turn out at lower rates. About 45% of adults in Aetna report food insecurity, about 29 points above the U.S. average of 16%. Limited routine healthcare access lines up with lower turnout, and Aetna sits in the bottom quarter on routine-care measures. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Pulaski, Gary, IN D+83
- Midtown, Gary, IN D+84
- Downtown West, Gary, IN D+84
- Glen Park, Gary, IN D+79
- Tolleston, Gary, IN D+82
- Tarrytown, Gary, IN D+82
- Brunswick, Gary, IN D+80
- Turner-Meyn Park, Hammond, IN D+19
- Forestdale, Hammond, IN D+29
- Columbia Center, Hammond, IN D+38
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Wyandotte, Louisville, KY D+23
- Eastside, Tucson, AZ D+3
- Northside Community, Chattanooga, TN D+17
- Coral Ridge Isles, Fort Lauderdale, FL Even
- Alger Heights, Grand Rapids, MI D+46
- Rosemont, Portland, ME D+69
- Adams, Huntington Beach, CA Even
- Tierra Oeste, Albuquerque, NM D+15
- Mission Hills-San Diego, San Diego, CA D+42
- North Park, Billings, MT D+17
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Indiana 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.