Brightwood is a Democratic stronghold. About 88% of voters here vote Democratic and 12% Republican.
About 62% of adults in Brightwood typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Brightwood, ~54% vote Democratic, ~8% Republican, and ~38% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Brightwood compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Brightwood leans more Democratic than 13 of 34 neighbors.
Brightwood runs about 7 points more Republican than the District of Columbia as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Brightwood. The south side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+89) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+70), a spread of about 19 points.
Why Brightwood leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Brightwood. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Brightwood, Washington, DC sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Brightwood looks the way it does
Crowded housing lines up with lower turnout. About 12% of homes in Brightwood have more than one occupant per room, above 94% of neighborhoods. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 86% of adults in Brightwood have completed high school, below 75% of neighborhoods. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Fort Totten-Upper Northeast, Washington, DC D+83
- Petworth, Washington, DC D+86
- Takoma Park, Washington, DC D+84
- Barnaby Woods, Washington, DC D+74
- Carroll Manor, Takoma Park, MD D+84
- Catholic University-Brookland, Washington, DC D+81
- Mount Pleasant, Washington, DC D+83
- Chevy Chase, Washington, DC D+79
- Michigan Park, Washington, DC D+86
- Columbia Heights, Washington, DC D+83
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Gold Coast, Chicago, IL D+54
- Northwood, Irvine, CA D+10
- Arverne, Queens, NY D+63
- Northshore, Houston, TX D+20
- Green Valley South, Henderson, NV D+8
- Hunts Point, Bronx, NY D+44
- Fort Bend Houston, Missouri City, TX D+68
- Palos Verdes Peninsula, Torrance, CA D+16
- Fox Chase-Burholme, Philadelphia, PA D+7
- Theater District, Manhattan, NY D+63
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from District of Columbia Board 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.