Bloomington leans heavily Democratic by roughly 36 points: about 68% of voters vote Democratic and 32% Republican.
About 58% of adults in Bloomington typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Bloomington, ~39% vote Democratic, ~19% Republican, and ~42% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Bloomington compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Bloomington is the most Democratic-leaning.
Bloomington runs about 55 points more Democratic than Indiana as a whole. Indiana leans Republican overall, while Bloomington is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Bloomington. The east side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+63) and the southwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+6), a spread of about 57 points.
Why Bloomington 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 Bloomington, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 55% of adults in Bloomington hold a bachelor's degree, about 26 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and Bloomington sits in the top fifth on density (about 72%, above 92% of cities). Bloomington runs against the grain of Indiana, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Bloomington, IN 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 Bloomington looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 53% of households in Bloomington rent, about 28 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Ellettsville, IN R+14
- Woodville Hills, IN Even
- Stanford, IN R+45
- Harrodsburg, IN R+30
- Solsberry, IN R+51
- Unionville, IN R+21
- Needmore, IN R+17
- Freeman, IN R+52
- Belmont, IN R+35
- Stinesville, IN R+39
Cities with Similar Populations
- Largo, FL R+11
- Santa Fe, NM D+51
- Nampa, ID R+36
- Appleton, WI Even
- Santa Barbara, CA D+49
- Roanoke, VA D+15
- Elgin, IL D+18
- Spring Hill, FL R+28
- New Braunfels, TX R+28
- Newark, DE D+34
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Indiana 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.