Barstow leans slightly Republican by roughly 12 points: about 44% of voters vote Democratic and 56% Republican.
About 41% of adults in Barstow typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Barstow, ~18% vote Democratic, ~23% Republican, and ~59% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Barstow compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Barstow is the least Republican-leaning.
Barstow runs about 33 points more Republican than California as a whole. California leans Democratic overall, while Barstow is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Barstow. The northwest side is the most split-leaning (R+40) and the east side is the least split-leaning (R+2), a spread of about 38 points.
Why Barstow 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 Barstow, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Barstow votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 58%, about 21 points above the U.S. average of 36%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Barstow sits in the bottom quarter (about 14%, below 83% of cities). Barstow runs against the grain of California, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; Barstow, CA sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in Barstow looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Barstow is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 50%, about 12 points below the California average of 62%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 51% of households in Barstow rent, about 26 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 29% of adults in Barstow report food insecurity, above 95% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Lenwood, CA R+23
- Nebo Center, CA R+23
- Daggett, CA R+34
- Hinkley, CA R+41
- Hodge, CA R+32
- Yermo, CA R+49
- Newberry Springs, CA R+45
- Helendale, CA R+29
- Lockhart, CA R+48
- Oro Grande, CA R+18
Cities with Similar Populations
- Erie, CO D+21
- Laplace, LA D+25
- Willingboro, NJ D+77
- Savage, MN D+10
- Paradise Hills, NM D+6
- Pittsford, NY D+30
- Union City, GA D+79
- Ashland, KY R+32
- Seaside, CA D+36
- Franklin Town, MA D+16
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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.