Central is a Democratic stronghold. About 76% of voters here vote Democratic and 24% Republican.
About 48% of adults in Central typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Central, ~36% vote Democratic, ~12% Republican, and ~52% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Central compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Central leans more Democratic than 11 of 47 neighbors.
Central runs about 28 points more Democratic than Massachusetts as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Central. The southeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+70) and the southwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+49), a spread of about 21 points.
Why Central 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 Central, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 66% of adults in Central hold a bachelor's degree, about 38 points above the U.S. average of 28%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 55% of adults in Central have never been married, above 89% of neighborhoods.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Central, Boston, MA sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Central looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 77% of households in Central rent, about 52 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, NY D+69
- West Central, Pasadena, CA D+54
- Weston Ranch, Stockton, CA D+24
- South, Raleigh, NC D+71
- Arlanza, Riverside, CA D+15
- Grand Crossing, Chicago, IL D+82
- Northwest, Portland, OR D+77
- Save The Valley 21, El Paso, TX D+28
- Bassett, West Puente Valley, CA D+31
- Fort Totten-Upper Northeast, Washington, DC D+83
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.