Buena Vista leans Republican by roughly 26 points: about 37% of voters vote Democratic and 63% Republican.
About 94% of adults in Buena Vista typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Buena Vista, ~35% vote Democratic, ~59% Republican, and ~6% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Buena Vista compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Buena Vista leans more Republican than 130 of 266 neighbors.
Buena Vista runs about 25 points more Republican than Pennsylvania as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Buena Vista. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+45) and the north side is the least Republican-leaning (R+25), a spread of about 19 points.
Why Buena Vista 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 Buena Vista, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Buena Vista votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 39%, modestly above the Pennsylvania average of 33%). Here an older population outweighs the Democratic lean that density usually predicts.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Buena Vista, PA sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in Buena Vista looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Buena Vista 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%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 98% of households in Buena Vista own their home, compared to around 77% in nearby cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Coulters, PA R+37
- Sutersville, PA R+41
- Elizabeth, PA R+27
- Greenock, PA R+23
- Lincoln, PA R+40
- Versailles, PA Even
- Rillton, PA R+43
- West Newton, PA R+33
- Clairton, PA D+41
- McKeesport, PA D+19
Cities with Similar Populations
- Lake Hubert, MN R+33
- Gladeville, TN R+53
- Colton, NY R+21
- Lake Cherokee, TX R+62
- Cassville, WI R+38
- East Ellijay, GA R+56
- Scio, NY R+43
- Shutesbury, MA D+50
- Orangeville, IL R+43
- North Benton, OH R+54
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.