Boston leans heavily Republican by roughly 38 points: about 31% of voters vote Democratic and 69% Republican.
About 90% of adults in Boston typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Boston, ~28% vote Democratic, ~62% Republican, and ~10% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Boston compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Boston leans more Republican than 48 of 85 neighbors.
Boston runs about 43 points more Republican than Virginia as a whole. Virginia leans Democratic overall, while Boston is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Boston. The east side is the most Republican-leaning (R+40) and the northwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+24), a spread of about 16 points.
Why Boston 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 Boston, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Boston votes against the grain of Virginia. Virginia leans Democratic overall, while Boston runs about 43 points more Republican.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; Boston, VA sits in the bottom quarter 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 Boston looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 96% of households in Boston own their home, about 20 points above the Virginia average of 76%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Scrabble, VA R+24
- Reva, VA R+39
- Haywood, VA R+38
- Castleton, VA R+24
- Etlan, VA R+35
- Rixeyville, VA R+43
- Rock Mills, VA R+18
- Brightwood, VA R+36
- Culpeper, VA R+14
- Leon, VA R+38
Cities with Similar Populations
- Rio Grande, OH R+57
- Silverdale, PA R+14
- Grubville, MO R+57
- Kyote, TX R+42
- Ore Spring, TN R+66
- Wheaton, MO R+66
- Matewan, WV R+74
- Dillingham, NC R+13
- Nickelsville, GA R+75
- Lunenburg, VT R+37
All Local Stats
Home Services
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Virginia Department 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.