Dorchester leans heavily Republican by roughly 46 points: about 27% of voters vote Democratic and 73% Republican.
About 80% of adults in Dorchester typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Dorchester, ~22% vote Democratic, ~58% Republican, and ~20% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Dorchester compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Dorchester is the most Republican-leaning.
Dorchester runs about 51 points more Republican than New Jersey as a whole. New Jersey leans Democratic overall, while Dorchester is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why Dorchester 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 Dorchester, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dorchester votes against the grain of New Jersey. New Jersey leans Democratic overall, while Dorchester runs about 51 points more Republican. Car-dependent areas vote Republican, and about 87% of residents in Dorchester drive to work alone, above 87% of cities. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Dorchester sits in the bottom quarter (about 11%, below 89% of cities).
Housing overcrowding and voter turnout
Places with low overcrowding tend to turn out at a higher rate; Dorchester, NJ sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Dorchester looks the way it does
Turnout in Dorchester sits close to the national pattern. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Heislerville, NJ R+42
- Leesburg, NJ D+13
- Mauricetown, NJ R+35
- Port Elizabeth, NJ R+45
- Delmont, NJ R+45
- Port Norris, NJ R+27
- Laurel Lake, NJ R+24
- Menantico, NJ R+42
- Eldora, NJ R+44
Cities with Similar Populations
- Gene Autry, OK R+58
- Felch, MI R+39
- Hebron, VA R+63
- Lakeport, MI R+36
- Pompeys Pillar, MT R+68
- Belle Valley, OH R+60
- Rockhill, PA R+60
- Edwall, WA R+55
- Niles Valley, PA R+62
- Coopers Mills, ME R+29
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from New Jersey Division 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.