Downtown is a Democratic stronghold. About 88% of voters here vote Democratic and 12% Republican.
About 53% of adults in Downtown typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Downtown, ~47% vote Democratic, ~6% Republican, and ~47% 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 22 of 48 neighbors.
Downtown runs about 47 points more Democratic than Maryland as a whole.
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.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in Downtown live in densely developed areas, about 64 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Downtown sits in the top quarter (about 61%, above 81% of neighborhoods). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 69% of adults in Downtown have never been married, above 97% of neighborhoods.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Downtown, Baltimore, MD sits in the top tenth 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 Downtown looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 93% of households in Downtown rent, about 68 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
- Mount Vernon, Baltimore, MD D+80
- Federal Hill-Montgomery, Baltimore, MD D+67
- Oldtown, Baltimore, MD D+77
- Mid-Town Belvedere, Baltimore, MD D+80
- Jonestown, Baltimore, MD D+68
- Washington Village, Baltimore, MD D+75
- West Baltimore, Baltimore, MD D+82
- Reservoir Hill-Bolton Hill, Baltimore, MD D+82
- Riverside, Baltimore, MD D+64
- Hopkins-Middle East, Baltimore, MD D+80
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Beechmont, Louisville, KY D+24
- Downtown St Petersburg, St. Petersburg, FL D+15
- Woodley Park, Washington, DC D+80
- Lake Marion Village, Poinciana, FL D+25
- Cherry Hill, Brooklyn, MD D+82
- Fairview, Camden, NJ D+55
- Union-Miles Park, Cleveland, OH D+87
- Rancho Sahuarita, Sahuarita, AZ R+5
- Washington Park, Providence, RI D+39
- Central Carrollton, Carrollton, TX D+8
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.