Delaware leans Democratic by roughly 16 points: about 58% of voters vote Democratic and 42% Republican.
About 73% of adults in Delaware typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Delaware, ~42% vote Democratic, ~31% Republican, and ~27% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Delaware compares
Among states within 500 miles, Delaware leans more Democratic than 12 of 15 neighbors.
Politics vary noticeably by county within Delaware. The north side runs the most Democratic (D+50) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (R+19), a spread of about 69 points.
Why Delaware leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Delaware. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Homeownership and voter turnout
Places with homeowner-heavy households tend to turn out at a higher rate; Delaware sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Delaware looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 74% of households in Delaware own their home, above 88% of states. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby States
- Maryland D+33
- District of Columbia D+80
- New Jersey D+11
- Pennsylvania Even
- Virginia D+10
- New York D+16
- Rhode Island D+17
- West Virginia R+41
- Massachusetts D+26
- North Carolina Even
States with Similar Populations
- Montana R+20
- South Dakota R+29
- Rhode Island D+17
- North Dakota R+30
- Alaska Even
- District of Columbia D+80
- Vermont D+13
- Maine Even
- New Hampshire D+6
- Wyoming R+41
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Delaware Department 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.