Cheltenham is a Democratic stronghold. About 92% of voters here vote Democratic and 8% Republican.
About 84% of adults in Cheltenham typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Cheltenham, ~77% vote Democratic, ~7% Republican, and ~16% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Cheltenham compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Cheltenham leans more Democratic than 173 of 185 neighbors.
Cheltenham runs about 55 points more Democratic than Maryland as a whole.
Why Cheltenham 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 Cheltenham, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 65% of residents in Cheltenham live in densely developed areas, about 29 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Cheltenham sits in the top quarter (about 32%, above 77% of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 35% of adults in Cheltenham have never been married, above 88% of cities.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Cheltenham, MD sits in the top quarter 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 Cheltenham looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Cheltenham 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 63%, above 59% of cities. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 96% of households in Cheltenham own their home, compared to around 79% in nearby cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Rosaryville, MD D+77
- Marlton, MD D+79
- Clinton, MD D+79
- Croom, MD D+33
- Brandywine, MD D+60
- Andrews AFB, MD D+28
- Westphalia, MD D+79
- Cedarville, MD D+36
- Camp Springs, MD D+83
- Morningside, MD D+76
Cities with Similar Populations
- Otis, NM R+59
- Delhi, IA R+42
- Mountain Village, CO D+48
- Jenera, OH R+59
- Franklin, IL R+55
- Culvertown, KY R+58
- Millville, CA R+44
- Park Hall, MD D+4
- Conway, WA R+5
- Newport, DE D+22
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Maryland 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.