Columbia Heights is a Democratic stronghold. About 91% of voters here vote Democratic and 9% Republican.
About 60% of adults in Columbia Heights typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Columbia Heights, ~54% vote Democratic, ~6% Republican, and ~40% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Columbia Heights compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Columbia Heights leans more Democratic than 31 of 46 neighbors.
Politically, Columbia Heights sits close to the rest of the District of Columbia.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Columbia Heights. The south side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+89) and the west side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+77), a spread of about 11 points.
Why Columbia Heights 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 Columbia Heights, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in Columbia Heights live in densely developed areas, about 64 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Columbia Heights sits in the top quarter (about 67%, above 88% of neighborhoods). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 64% of adults in Columbia Heights have never been married, above 95% of neighborhoods.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Columbia Heights, Washington, DC sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Columbia Heights looks the way it does
Crowded housing lines up with lower turnout. About 8% of homes in Columbia Heights have more than one occupant per room, above 88% of neighborhoods. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 64% of households in Columbia Heights rent, about 39 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Mount Pleasant, Washington, DC D+83
- Adams Morgan, Washington, DC D+83
- U Street Corridor, Washington, DC D+80
- Petworth, Washington, DC D+86
- Ledroit Park, Washington, DC D+88
- Dupont Circle, Washington, DC D+78
- Logan Circle, Washington, DC D+77
- Woodley Park, Washington, DC D+80
- Shaw, Washington, DC D+84
- Catholic University-Brookland, Washington, DC D+81
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Sugar House, Salt Lake City, UT D+53
- Beacon Hill, Seattle, WA D+60
- City Heights East, San Diego, CA D+31
- Central Southwest, Houston, TX D+51
- University District, Seattle, WA D+67
- Oakland Gardens, Queens, NY Even
- Bustleton, Philadelphia, PA R+3
- Westgate Hts, Albuquerque, NM D+16
- Glendale, Queens, NY R+8
- Excelsior, San Francisco, CA D+39
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from District of Columbia Board 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.