Brighton Heights leans heavily Democratic by roughly 44 points: about 72% of voters vote Democratic and 28% Republican.
About 80% of adults in Brighton Heights typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Brighton Heights, ~58% vote Democratic, ~22% Republican, and ~20% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Brighton Heights compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Brighton Heights leans more Democratic than 3 of 12 neighbors.
Brighton Heights runs about 45 points more Democratic than Pennsylvania as a whole. Pennsylvania is roughly evenly split, and Brighton Heights sits clearly on the Democratic side.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Brighton Heights. The south side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+55) and the north side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+27), a spread of about 28 points.
Why Brighton Heights leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per neighborhood to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Brighton Heights, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Brighton Heights votes against the grain of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania is roughly evenly split, while Brighton Heights runs about 45 points more Democratic.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Brighton Heights, Pittsburgh, PA sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Brighton Heights looks the way it does
Turnout in Brighton Heights sits close to the national pattern. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Marshall-Shadeland, Pittsburgh, PA D+56
- Perry North, Pittsburgh, PA D+47
- Perry South, Pittsburgh, PA D+77
- Sheraden, Pittsburgh, PA D+49
- Central Northside, Pittsburgh, PA D+74
- Crafton Heights, Pittsburgh, PA D+32
- Westwood, Pittsburgh, PA D+20
- Central Business District, Pittsburgh, PA D+55
- Bluff, Pittsburgh, PA D+48
- Mount Washington, Pittsburgh, PA D+40
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Expo Park, Aurora, CO D+33
- Central Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA D+65
- Kenton, Portland, OR D+74
- Lawrence Park, Bronxville, NY D+22
- University Park, Worcester, MA D+36
- Arlington Hills, Jacksonville, FL D+14
- Belmont Shore, Long Beach, CA D+48
- Darnall, San Diego, CA D+31
- Prescott, Oakland, CA D+79
- Read Blvd East, New Orleans, LA D+80
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau 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.