Ashland leans heavily Democratic by roughly 46 points: about 73% of voters vote Democratic and 27% Republican.
About 41% of adults in Ashland typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Ashland, ~30% vote Democratic, ~11% Republican, and ~59% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Ashland compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Ashland leans more Democratic than 48 of 89 neighbors.
Ashland runs about 25 points more Democratic than California as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Ashland. The northeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+50) and the west side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+38), a spread of about 12 points.
Why Ashland 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 Ashland, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in Ashland live in densely developed areas, about 63 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 49% of adults in Ashland have never been married, above 98% of cities.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Ashland, CA sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Ashland looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Ashland is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 66% of households in Ashland rent, compared to around 37% in nearby cities. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 26% of adults in Ashland report food insecurity, above 92% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Cherryland, CA D+39
- San Lorenzo, CA D+34
- Castro Valley, CA D+33
- San Leandro, CA D+41
- Fairview, CA D+42
- Hayward, CA D+38
- Union City, CA D+33
- Oakland, CA D+68
- Alameda, CA D+60
- Canyon, CA D+64
Cities with Similar Populations
- Inkster, MI D+71
- Dana Point, CA R+3
- Clemson, SC D+6
- Duarte, CA D+24
- Wakefield, MA D+25
- Montrose Heights, VA D+52
- Edgewater, CO D+39
- Maineville, OH R+25
- Ridgewood, NJ D+25
- New Windsor, NY D+7
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from California 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.