Chestnut Hill is a Democratic stronghold. About 80% of voters here vote Democratic and 20% Republican.
About 70% of adults in Chestnut Hill typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Chestnut Hill, ~56% vote Democratic, ~14% Republican, and ~30% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Chestnut Hill compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Chestnut Hill leans more Democratic than 146 of 159 neighbors.
Chestnut Hill runs about 35 points more Democratic than Massachusetts as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Chestnut Hill. The northeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+69) and the southwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+48), a spread of about 21 points.
Why Chestnut Hill 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 Chestnut Hill, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 85% of adults in Chestnut Hill hold a bachelor's degree, about 57 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and Chestnut Hill sits in the top fifth on density (about 93%, above 97% of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 42% of adults in Chestnut Hill have never been married, above 95% of cities.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Chestnut Hill, 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 Chestnut Hill looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Chestnut Hill 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 78%, about 18 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 98% of adults in Chestnut Hill have completed high school, above 97% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Newton Center, MA D+60
- Brighton, MA D+61
- Newton Highlands, MA D+62
- Brookline, MA D+72
- Allston, MA D+67
- Newton Upper Falls, MA D+59
- West Roxbury, MA D+40
- Jamaica Plain, MA D+71
- Newton, MA D+58
- Newtonville, MA D+63
Cities with Similar Populations
- Tehachapi, CA R+29
- London, OH R+34
- Foothill Ranch, CA D+7
- Lakeland North, WA D+16
- Cedarburg, WI R+5
- Rutland, VT D+3
- Red Hill, SC R+19
- Exton, PA D+22
- Chardon, OH R+32
- Johnson City, NY D+8
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.