Chesterton leans slightly Republican by roughly 6 points: about 47% of voters vote Democratic and 53% Republican.
About 84% of adults in Chesterton typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Chesterton, ~39% vote Democratic, ~45% Republican, and ~16% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Chesterton compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Chesterton leans more Republican than 21 of 64 neighbors.
Chesterton runs about 12 points more Democratic than Indiana as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Chesterton. The southwest side is the most split-leaning (R+21) and the northwest side is the least split-leaning (Even), a spread of about 19 points.
Why Chesterton 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 Chesterton, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Chesterton votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 60%, far above the Indiana average of 25%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Chesterton, IN sits in the top quarter 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 Chesterton looks the way it does
Areas with high high-school completion turn out at higher rates. About 96% of adults in Chesterton have completed high school, about 6 points above the Indiana average of 90%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Porter, IN R+10
- Burns Harbor, IN R+11
- Furnessville, IN R+15
- Dune Acres, IN R+17
- Burdick, IN R+19
- Portage, IN Even
- Beverly Shores, IN R+8
- Ogden Dunes, IN D+23
- Otis, IN R+36
- Valparaiso, IN R+10
Cities with Similar Populations
- Port Wentworth, GA D+27
- Destin, FL R+40
- Prineville, OR R+43
- Powhatan, VA R+38
- Mayfield, KY R+47
- Bostonia, CA R+8
- Mount Joy, PA R+19
- Gaston, SC R+33
- West Mifflin, PA D+5
- Bull Run, VA D+25
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Indiana Secretary of State, 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.