Ashland leans Democratic by roughly 28 points: about 64% of voters vote Democratic and 36% Republican.
About 74% of adults in Ashland typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Ashland, ~47% vote Democratic, ~27% Republican, and ~26% 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 114 of 178 neighbors.
Politically, Ashland sits close to the rest of Massachusetts.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Ashland. The west side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+34) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+24), a spread of about 10 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. About 57% of residents in Ashland live in densely developed areas, about 21 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Ashland sits in the top quarter (about 61%, above 97% of cities).
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Ashland, MA sits in the top quarter 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 strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Ashland 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 76%, about 16 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 98% of adults in Ashland have completed high school, above 94% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Framingham, MA D+32
- Holliston, MA D+22
- Fayville, MA D+31
- Hopkinton, MA D+26
- Southville, MA D+21
- Sherborn, MA D+43
- Southborough, MA D+31
- Natick, MA D+41
- Harding, MA D+17
- North Milford, MA D+10
Cities with Similar Populations
- Spanish Lake, MO D+74
- Bellwood, IL D+78
- Gorham, ME D+4
- Norton, MA Even
- Estelle, LA Even
- Alexandria, KY R+43
- Newton, IA R+20
- Cypress Quarters, FL D+3
- Dunn, NC R+23
- Glassmanor, MD D+81
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.