Downtown is a Democratic stronghold. About 78% of voters here vote Democratic and 22% Republican.
About 55% of adults in Downtown typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Downtown, ~43% vote Democratic, ~12% Republican, and ~45% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Downtown compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Downtown leans more Democratic than 21 of 22 neighbors.
Downtown runs about 51 points more Democratic than New Mexico as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Downtown. The north side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+67) and the southeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+47), a spread of about 20 points.
Why Downtown leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per neighborhood to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Downtown, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with many never-married adults vote Democratic. About 62% of adults in Downtown have never been married, well above similar-sized neighborhoods (around 46%).
Park access and Democratic lean
Places with heavy park coverage tend to lean Democratic; Downtown, Albuquerque, NM sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Park access does not change how people vote; it tends to track denser, higher-income areas.
Why turnout in Downtown looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 71% of households in Downtown rent, about 46 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and Downtown sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- South Broadway, Albuquerque, NM D+48
- Near N Valley, Albuquerque, NM D+42
- Kirtland Community, Albuquerque, NM D+35
- Rio Grande, Albuquerque, NM D+40
- Victory Hills, Albuquerque, NM D+51
- South Atrisco, South Valley, NM D+20
- West Mesa, Albuquerque, NM D+24
- Alamosa, Albuquerque, NM D+25
- Nob Hill, Albuquerque, NM D+72
- Se Heights, Albuquerque, NM D+55
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- East Campus, Columbia, MO D+44
- Serra Highlands, South San Francisco, CA D+43
- North Overton, Lubbock, TX D+13
- Berkleigh, Mobile, AL R+24
- Norkirk, Kirkland, WA D+49
- Casablanca, Riverside, CA D+17
- Lakeview, Waltham, MA D+41
- Yorkville, Pottsville, PA R+18
- Parkhill, Mobile, AL R+35
- Beat 2535, Chicago, IL D+54
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from New Mexico Secretary of State, Bureau 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.