Cortland County leans Republican by roughly 18 points: about 41% of voters vote Democratic and 59% Republican.
About 65% of adults in Cortland County typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Cortland County, ~27% vote Democratic, ~38% Republican, and ~35% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Cortland County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Cortland County leans more Republican than 6 of 11 neighbors.
Cortland County runs about 30 points more Republican than New York as a whole. New York leans Democratic overall, while Cortland County is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Cortland County. The southeast side is the most split-leaning (R+50) and the west side is the least split-leaning (Even), a spread of about 49 points.
Why Cortland County leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per county to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Cortland County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Cortland County votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 50%, modestly above the New York average of 36%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here. Cortland County runs against the grain of New York, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Cortland County, NY sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Cortland County looks the way it does
Turnout in Cortland County 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 Counties
- Tompkins County, NY D+49
- Chenango County, NY R+36
- Cayuga County, NY R+17
- Onondaga County, NY D+21
- Tioga County, NY R+27
- Broome County, NY D+3
- Madison County, NY R+13
- Seneca County, NY R+18
- Schuyler County, NY R+23
- Chemung County, NY R+14
Counties with Similar Populations
- Coles County, IL R+26
- Nelson County, KY R+46
- Barron County, WI R+28
- Campbell County, WY R+65
- Chambers County, TX R+58
- Charlottesville City, VA D+60
- Cherokee County, OK R+28
- Bonner County, ID R+44
- Clinton County, IA R+21
- Allegany County, NY R+39
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from New York State 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.