City Heights West leans heavily Democratic by roughly 40 points: about 70% of voters vote Democratic and 30% Republican.
About 38% of adults in City Heights West typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in City Heights West, ~26% vote Democratic, ~11% Republican, and ~63% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How City Heights West compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, City Heights West leans more Democratic than 24 of 46 neighbors.
City Heights West runs about 20 points more Democratic than California as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within City Heights West. The southwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+69) and the north side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+30), a spread of about 39 points.
Why City Heights West 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 City Heights West, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in City Heights West live in densely developed areas, about 64 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 47% of adults in City Heights West have never been married, above 76% of neighborhoods.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; City Heights West, San Diego, CA 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 City Heights West looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. City Heights West is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 71% of households in City Heights West rent, about 46 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 29% of adults in City Heights West report food insecurity, above 80% of neighborhoods. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- East San Diego, San Diego, CA D+45
- City Heights East, San Diego, CA D+31
- North Park San Diego, San Diego, CA D+62
- Normal Heights, San Diego, CA D+60
- Ridgeview-Webster, San Diego, CA D+37
- Kensington, San Diego, CA D+57
- Talmadge, San Diego, CA D+48
- Oak Park, San Diego, CA D+30
- El Cerritos, San Diego, CA D+48
- University Heights, San Diego, CA D+63
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Tampa Palms, Tampa, FL D+16
- North Sutton Area, Manhattan, NY D+55
- Upper Clinton Hill, Newark, NJ D+80
- Greenwood, Brooklyn, NY D+62
- Bellerose, Queens, NY D+7
- Park Hill, Denver, CO D+72
- Jefferson, Cleveland, OH D+23
- Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn, NY D+75
- South Southwest, San Antonio, TX D+21
- Merrlam Park, St. Paul, MN D+65
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from California 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.