Baltimore City is a Democratic stronghold. About 86% of voters here vote Democratic and 14% Republican.
About 60% of adults in Baltimore City typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Baltimore City, ~52% vote Democratic, ~8% Republican, and ~40% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Baltimore City compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Baltimore City leans more Democratic than 19 of 20 neighbors.
Baltimore City runs about 43 points more Democratic than Maryland as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Baltimore City. The west side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+86) and the southeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+50), a spread of about 36 points.
Why Baltimore City leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per county to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Baltimore City, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 97% of residents in Baltimore City live in densely developed areas, about 61 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Baltimore City sits in the top quarter (about 36%, above 87% of counties). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 52% of adults in Baltimore City have never been married, in the top fraction of counties.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Baltimore City, MD sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Baltimore City looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 50% of households in Baltimore City rent, about 25 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 27% of adults in Baltimore City report food insecurity, above 93% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Baltimore County, MD D+28
- Howard County, MD D+40
- Anne Arundel County, MD D+17
- Harford County, MD R+4
- Carroll County, MD R+24
- Kent County, MD Even
- Montgomery County, MD D+52
- Prince George's County, MD D+71
- Queen Anne's County, MD R+27
- District of Columbia, DC D+80
Counties with Similar Populations
- Douglas County, NE D+17
- Anne Arundel County, MD D+17
- Jefferson County, CO D+18
- Bristol County, MA Even
- Delaware County, PA D+27
- Union County, NJ D+26
- Washington County, OR D+32
- New Castle County, DE D+33
- Brevard County, FL R+19
- Williamson County, TX Even
All Local Stats
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Maryland 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.