Columbia Heights leans heavily Democratic by roughly 36 points: about 68% of voters vote Democratic and 32% Republican.
About 63% of adults in Columbia Heights typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Columbia Heights, ~43% vote Democratic, ~20% Republican, and ~37% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Columbia Heights compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Columbia Heights leans more Democratic than 109 of 124 neighbors.
Columbia Heights runs about 31 points more Democratic than Minnesota as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Columbia Heights. The southwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+45) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+27), a spread of about 19 points.
Why Columbia Heights 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 Columbia Heights, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 99% of residents in Columbia Heights live in densely developed areas, about 62 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Columbia Heights sits in the top quarter (about 32%, above 78% of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 44% of adults in Columbia Heights have never been married, above 96% of cities.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Columbia Heights, MN sits in the top tenth 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 Columbia Heights looks the way it does
Turnout in Columbia Heights sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Hilltop, MN D+27
- St. Anthony, MN D+45
- New Brighton, MN D+35
- Fridley, MN D+23
- Brooklyn Center, MN D+40
- Arden Hills, MN D+31
- Robbinsdale, MN D+46
- Lauderdale, MN D+63
- Mounds View, MN D+22
- Spring Lake Park, MN D+14
Cities with Similar Populations
- Warrenton, VA R+7
- Manheim, PA R+35
- Sycamore, IL Even
- Ellijay, GA R+59
- Bethany, OK R+5
- Anderson, CA R+36
- Easton, MD D+4
- Georgetown, SC Even
- DeFuniak Springs, FL R+50
- Cameron, NC R+18
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Minnesota 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.