Athens leans slightly Republican by roughly 6 points: about 47% of voters vote Democratic and 53% Republican.
About 76% of adults in Athens typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Athens, ~36% vote Democratic, ~40% Republican, and ~24% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Athens compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Athens leans more Republican than 76 of 136 neighbors.
Athens runs about 19 points more Republican than New York as a whole. New York leans Democratic overall, while Athens is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why Athens 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 Athens, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Athens votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 29%, modestly below the New York average of 36%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here. Athens runs against the grain of New York, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Cholesterol-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high cholesterol-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Athens, NY sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Cholesterol screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in Athens looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Athens 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 67%, about 7 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Lorenz Park, NY Even
- Limestreet, NY R+13
- Hudson, NY D+19
- Columbiaville, NY R+18
- Stottville, NY R+10
- Coxsackie, NY D+8
- Greendale, NY Even
- Stuyvesant Falls, NY R+12
- Catskill, NY Even
- Leeds, NY R+28
Cities with Similar Populations
- Titusville, NJ D+21
- Southington, OH R+48
- Newton Upper Falls, MA D+59
- Vauxhall, NJ D+74
- Sabina, OH R+63
- Blue Earth, MN R+26
- Clinton, WI R+24
- Forest City, PA R+32
- Charleston, AR R+67
- Anacoco, LA R+86
All Local Stats
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from New York State Board 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.