Athens leans heavily Democratic by roughly 42 points: about 71% of voters vote Democratic and 29% Republican.
About 56% of adults in Athens typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Athens, ~40% vote Democratic, ~16% Republican, and ~44% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Athens compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Athens is the most Democratic-leaning.
Athens runs about 53 points more Democratic than Ohio as a whole. Ohio leans Republican overall, while Athens is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Athens. The north side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+66) and the southeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+17), a spread of about 48 points.
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.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 64% of residents in Athens live in densely developed areas, about 28 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Athens sits in the top quarter (about 50%, above 94% of cities). Athens runs against the grain of Ohio, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Athens, OH sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in Athens looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 61% of households in Athens rent, about 36 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 23% of adults in Athens report food insecurity, above 88% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- The Plains, OH D+26
- Hamley Run, OH D+13
- Chauncey, OH D+8
- Pleasanton, OH R+33
- Stewart, OH R+37
- Carbondale, OH R+19
- Millfield, OH R+11
- New Marshfield, OH R+35
- New Floodwood, OH R+41
- Albany, OH R+38
Cities with Similar Populations
- Ballston Spa, NY Even
- Bella Vista, AR R+29
- West Linn, OR D+33
- Fitchburg, WI D+53
- Raytown, MO D+31
- Bethany, OR D+39
- Cave Creek, AZ R+22
- Stafford, TX D+29
- Newberg, OR D+6
- Lake in the Hills, IL Even
All Local Stats
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Ohio 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.