Cuyahoga County leans heavily Democratic by roughly 34 points: about 67% of voters vote Democratic and 33% Republican.
About 69% of adults in Cuyahoga County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Cuyahoga County, ~46% vote Democratic, ~23% Republican, and ~31% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Cuyahoga County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Cuyahoga County is the most Democratic-leaning.
Cuyahoga County runs about 46 points more Democratic than Ohio as a whole. Ohio leans Republican overall, while Cuyahoga County is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Cuyahoga County. The north side runs the most Democratic (D+76) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (R+2), a spread of about 78 points.
Why Cuyahoga 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 Cuyahoga County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 94% of residents in Cuyahoga County live in densely developed areas, about 57 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Cuyahoga County sits in the top quarter (about 36%, above 88% of counties). Cuyahoga County runs against the grain of Ohio, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Cuyahoga County, OH sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Cuyahoga County looks the way it does
Turnout in Cuyahoga 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
- Medina County, OH R+25
- Lorain County, OH R+5
- Geauga County, OH R+30
- Summit County, OH D+10
- Lake County, OH R+11
- Portage County, OH R+12
- Wayne County, OH R+42
- Stark County, OH R+18
- Erie County, OH R+13
- Trumbull County, OH R+17
Counties with Similar Populations
- Oakland County, MI D+14
- Allegheny County, PA D+22
- Hennepin County, MN D+43
- Travis County, TX D+37
- Franklin County, OH D+30
- Salt Lake County, UT D+10
- Contra Costa County, CA D+36
- Fairfax County, VA D+37
- Nassau County, NY Even
- Wake County, NC D+28
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Ohio 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.