Cattaraugus County leans Republican by roughly 30 points: about 35% of voters vote Democratic and 65% Republican.
About 65% of adults in Cattaraugus County typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Cattaraugus County, ~23% vote Democratic, ~42% Republican, and ~35% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Cattaraugus County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Cattaraugus County leans more Republican than 2 of 7 neighbors.
Cattaraugus County runs about 42 points more Republican than New York as a whole. New York leans Democratic overall, while Cattaraugus County is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Cattaraugus County. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+47) and the southeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+12), a spread of about 34 points.
Why Cattaraugus County leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per county to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Cattaraugus County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Cattaraugus County votes against the grain of New York. New York leans Democratic overall, while Cattaraugus County runs about 42 points more Republican.
Uninsured rate and voter turnout
Places with a low uninsured rate tend to turn out at a higher rate; Cattaraugus County, NY sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Insurance coverage does not directly drive turnout; it reflects the income and stability that line up with who votes.
Why turnout in Cattaraugus County looks the way it does
Turnout in Cattaraugus County sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- McKean County, PA R+43
- Allegany County, NY R+39
- Chautauqua County, NY R+16
- Wyoming County, NY R+39
- Warren County, PA R+41
- Potter County, PA R+58
- Erie County, NY D+15
- Cameron County, PA R+47
- Elk County, PA R+42
- Livingston County, NY R+19
Counties with Similar Populations
- Ross County, OH R+44
- Anderson County, TN R+39
- Clallam County, WA D+9
- White County, AR R+56
- Cole County, MO R+29
- Augusta County, VA R+45
- Cheshire County, NH Even
- Walker County, TX R+20
- Chatham County, NC R+3
- Cayuga County, NY R+17
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.