Campus Area leans heavily Democratic by roughly 46 points: about 73% of voters vote Democratic and 27% Republican.
About 49% of adults in Campus Area typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Campus Area, ~36% vote Democratic, ~13% Republican, and ~51% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Campus Area compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Campus Area is the least Democratic-leaning.
Campus Area runs about 34 points more Democratic than New York as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Campus Area. The north side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+59) and the west side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+26), a spread of about 33 points.
Why Campus Area 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 Campus Area, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 66% of adults in Campus Area hold a bachelor's degree, about 37 points above the U.S. average of 28%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 67% of adults in Campus Area have never been married, above 97% of neighborhoods.
Renting and voter turnout
Places with renter-heavy households tend to turn out at a lower rate; Campus Area, Albany, NY sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Campus Area looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 62% of households in Campus Area rent, about 37 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Strong routine healthcare access lines up with higher turnout, and Campus Area sits in the top quarter on routine-care measures. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Buckingham Lake-Crestwood, Albany, NY D+47
- New Scotland-Woodlawn, Albany, NY D+60
- West End, Albany, NY D+61
- Pine Hills, Albany, NY D+62
- Helderberg, Albany, NY D+57
- West Hill, Albany, NY D+66
- Central Ave, Albany, NY D+66
- Sheridan Hollow, Albany, NY D+71
- Delaware Avenue, Albany, NY D+58
- Center Square, Albany, NY D+75
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- First Hill, Seattle, WA D+69
- Heritage, San Antonio, TX D+20
- Battery Park, Manhattan, NY D+52
- Whitmer-Trilby, Toledo, OH D+2
- Downtown Houston, Houston, TX D+49
- West Boulevard, Cleveland, OH D+30
- Oleander Sunset, Bakersfield, CA D+17
- Haight-Ashbury, San Francisco, CA D+82
- Pacific Heights, San Francisco, CA D+69
- Georgetown, Washington, DC D+69
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from New York State 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.