Cambridge is a Democratic stronghold. About 87% of voters here vote Democratic and 13% Republican.
About 55% of adults in Cambridge typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Cambridge, ~48% vote Democratic, ~7% Republican, and ~45% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Cambridge compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Cambridge leans more Democratic than 154 of 155 neighbors.
Cambridge runs about 50 points more Democratic than Massachusetts as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Cambridge. The north side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+79) and the east side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+69), a spread of about 11 points.
Why Cambridge 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 Cambridge, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 96% of residents in Cambridge live in densely developed areas, about 60 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Cambridge sits in the top quarter (about 81%, in the top fraction of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 59% of adults in Cambridge have never been married, in the top fraction of cities.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Cambridge, MA 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 Cambridge looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 68% of households in Cambridge rent, about 44 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Strong routine healthcare access lines up with higher turnout, and Cambridge sits in the top quarter on routine-care measures. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Somerville, MA D+69
- Allston, MA D+67
- Watertown, MA D+77
- Brookline, MA D+72
- Charlestown, MA D+53
- Brighton, MA D+61
- Medford, MA D+46
- Belmont, MA D+63
- Watertown Town, MA D+57
- Boston, MA D+30
Cities with Similar Populations
- Rock Hill, SC Even
- Pflugerville, TX D+28
- East Los Angeles, CA D+41
- Warren, MI D+10
- Vista, CA D+10
- Ventura, CA D+22
- Fairfield, CA D+22
- Clovis, CA R+12
- Tuscaloosa, AL D+24
- Lowell, MA D+25
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, 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.