Clifton is a true toss-up. About 49% of voters here vote Democratic and 51% Republican.
About 60% of adults in Clifton typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Clifton, ~29% vote Democratic, ~31% Republican, and ~40% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Clifton compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Clifton sits roughly in the middle of the political spectrum, with 184 neighbors leaning further in the place's direction and 109 leaning the other way.
Clifton runs about 8 points more Republican than New Jersey as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Clifton. The east side runs the most Democratic (D+6) and the south side runs the most Republican (R+13), a spread of about 19 points.
Why Clifton leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Clifton. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with low colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a lower rate; Clifton, NJ sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in Clifton looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Clifton 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 39% of households in Clifton rent, above 94% of cities. Crowded housing lines up with lower turnout, and about 5% of homes in Clifton have more than one occupant per room, above 88% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Passaic, NJ D+5
- Garfield, NJ R+7
- Wallington, NJ R+23
- Woodland Park, NJ R+10
- Brookdale, NJ D+27
- Upper Montclair, NJ D+70
- Elmwood Park, NJ R+7
- Paterson, NJ D+28
- East Rutherford, NJ D+5
- Nutley, NJ R+3
Cities with Similar Populations
- Bloomington, MN D+32
- Covington, GA D+22
- Flagstaff, AZ D+31
- Tustin, CA D+14
- Bismarck, ND R+30
- Champaign, IL D+45
- Napa, CA D+32
- Livermore, CA D+21
- Sioux City, IA R+3
- Walnut Creek, CA D+47
All Local Stats
Home Services
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from New Jersey Division 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.