Dayton leans Democratic by roughly 20 points: about 60% of voters vote Democratic and 40% Republican.
About 87% of adults in Dayton typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Dayton, ~52% vote Democratic, ~35% Republican, and ~13% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Dayton compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Dayton leans more Democratic than 46 of 169 neighbors.
Dayton runs about 9 points more Republican than Maryland as a whole.
Why Dayton 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 Dayton, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 72% of adults in Dayton hold a bachelor's degree, about 44 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Density combined with diversity predicts Democratic voting, and non-Hispanic white share in Dayton is about 72%, below 74% of cities.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Dayton, MD sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Dayton looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Dayton is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 76%, about 16 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 98% of households in Dayton own their home, about 22 points above the U.S. average of 75%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 97% of adults in Dayton have completed high school, above 90% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Glenelg, MD D+15
- West Friendship, MD D+18
- Glenwood, MD D+10
- Brinklow, MD D+17
- Clarksville, MD D+34
- Highland, MD D+21
- Brookeville, MD D+29
- Ashton, MD D+38
- Cooksville, MD Even
- Sandy Spring, MD D+43
Cities with Similar Populations
- Oxford, WI R+32
- Beaver, OH R+62
- Loreauville, LA R+55
- Redland, TX R+67
- Blythe, GA R+20
- Duchesne, UT R+72
- Somers, MT R+42
- Manchester, ME R+4
- Venersborg, WA R+29
- Huntsville, UT R+35
All Local Stats
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Maryland 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.