Area IV is a Democratic stronghold. About 87% of voters here vote Democratic and 13% Republican.
About 53% of adults in Area IV typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Area IV, ~46% vote Democratic, ~7% Republican, and ~47% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Area IV compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Area IV leans more Democratic than 40 of 51 neighbors.
Area IV runs about 49 points more Democratic than Massachusetts as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Area IV. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+77) and the east side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+66), a spread of about 12 points.
Why Area IV 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 Area IV, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in Area IV live in densely developed areas, about 64 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Area IV sits in the top quarter (about 67%, above 88% of neighborhoods). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 64% of adults in Area IV have never been married, above 96% of neighborhoods.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Area IV, Cambridge, MA sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Area IV looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 77% of households in Area IV rent, about 52 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Wellington-Harrington, Cambridge, MA D+72
- Mid-Cambridge, Cambridge, MA D+77
- Cambridgeport, Cambridge, MA D+77
- MIT, Cambridge, MA D+70
- Riverside, Cambridge, MA D+78
- Union Square, Somerville, MA D+75
- East Cambridge, Cambridge, MA D+65
- Aggasiz-Harvard, Cambridge, MA D+78
- Back Bay, Boston, MA D+62
- East Somerville, Somerville, MA D+59
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Inverness, Hoover, AL R+26
- Old River Terrace, Channelview, TX R+21
- Baywood-Aragon, San Mateo, CA D+51
- Alki, Seattle, WA D+68
- Inglewood-Riverwood, Nashville, TN D+24
- Clarke Square, Milwaukee, WI D+46
- Overlook, Portland, OR D+83
- East Richmond, Richmond, CA D+66
- Regency, Jacksonville, FL D+16
- Melrose, Nashville, TN D+41
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, 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.