Altoona leans Republican by roughly 26 points: about 37% of voters vote Democratic and 63% Republican.
About 69% of adults in Altoona typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Altoona, ~25% vote Democratic, ~44% Republican, and ~31% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Altoona compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Altoona leans more Republican than 3 of 142 neighbors.
Altoona runs about 24 points more Republican than Pennsylvania as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Altoona. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+39) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+16), a spread of about 24 points.
Why Altoona leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per city to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Altoona, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Altoona votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 82%, far above the Pennsylvania average of 33%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Altoona, PA sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Altoona looks the way it does
Turnout in Altoona sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Buckhorn, PA R+52
- Sickles Corner, PA R+52
- Cross Keys, PA R+36
- Hollidaysburg, PA R+31
- Coupon, PA R+59
- Bellwood, PA R+46
- Horrell, PA R+51
- Duncansville, PA R+42
- Foot of Ten, PA R+56
- Dysart, PA R+56
Cities with Similar Populations
- Wheaton, IL D+21
- Shoreline, WA D+48
- Monroe, NC R+16
- Woodbridge, VA D+35
- Stillwater, OK R+6
- Margate, FL D+26
- National City, CA D+24
- Encino, CA D+21
- La Crosse, WI D+20
- Venice, FL R+21
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of 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.