Downtown Appleton leans Democratic by roughly 22 points: about 61% of voters vote Democratic and 39% Republican.
About 66% of adults in Downtown Appleton typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Downtown Appleton, ~40% vote Democratic, ~26% Republican, and ~34% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Downtown Appleton compares
Downtown Appleton runs about 22 points more Democratic than Wisconsin as a whole. Wisconsin is roughly evenly split, and Downtown Appleton sits clearly on the Democratic side.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Downtown Appleton. The southeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+30) and the north side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+14), a spread of about 17 points.
Why Downtown Appleton 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 Appleton, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in Downtown Appleton live in densely developed areas, about 64 points above the U.S. average of 36%. Downtown Appleton runs against the grain of Wisconsin, a Democratic-leaning outlier in a roughly evenly split state.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Downtown Appleton, Appleton, WI sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Downtown Appleton looks the way it does
Turnout in Downtown Appleton 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 Neighborhoods
- Menominee South, Oshkosh, WI D+17
- Western Corridor, Green Bay, WI D+15
- Fort Howard, Green Bay, WI D+12
- Haevers Corners, Green Bay, WI D+19
- South Pier, Sheboygan, WI D+12
- Village Centre, Menomonee Falls, WI R+4
- SW Jones, Wausau, WI Even
- Westies, Wausau, WI D+11
- Bradley Estates, Milwaukee, WI D+66
- Menomonee River Hills, Milwaukee, WI D+63
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Midtown Phillips, Minneapolis, MN D+67
- Oxford, Fort Wayne, IN D+67
- Natomas Crossing, Sacramento, CA D+41
- Near Westside, Syracuse, NY D+53
- Park Duvalle, Louisville, KY D+88
- East Downtown Dearborn, Dearborn, MI R+20
- Bay Shore Gardens, Bayshore Gardens, FL R+18
- Downtown Concord, Concord, CA D+44
- Country Lakes, Miramar, FL D+15
- Riverchase Country Club, Hoover, AL R+31
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Wisconsin Elections Commission, 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.