Bend leans Democratic by roughly 16 points: about 58% of voters vote Democratic and 42% Republican.
About 86% of adults in Bend typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Bend, ~50% vote Democratic, ~36% Republican, and ~14% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Bend compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Bend leans more Democratic than 11 of 12 neighbors.
Politically, Bend sits close to the rest of Oregon.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Bend. The west side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+44) and the southeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (Even), a spread of about 42 points.
Why Bend 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 Bend, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 73% of residents in Bend live in densely developed areas, about 36 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Bend sits in the top quarter (about 50%, above 94% of cities).
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Bend, OR sits in the top tenth 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 Bend looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Bend 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 70%, about 10 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 96% of adults in Bend have completed high school, above 86% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Deschutes Junction, OR R+17
- Tumalo, OR Even
- Sunriver, OR D+32
- Redmond, OR R+14
- Three Rivers, OR R+5
- Deschutes, OR R+24
- Sisters, OR D+2
- Millican, OR R+25
- Powell Butte, OR R+45
Cities with Similar Populations
- Pueblo, CO D+8
- Waco, TX D+3
- Joliet, IL D+22
- Temecula, CA R+11
- Concord, CA D+33
- Delray Beach, FL D+11
- Spartanburg, SC R+4
- Arvada, CO D+15
- Asheville, NC D+39
- Fargo, ND D+3
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Oregon Secretary of State, Elections Division, 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.