Downtown Brooklyn is a Democratic stronghold. About 90% of voters here vote Democratic and 10% Republican.
About 63% of adults in Downtown Brooklyn typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Downtown Brooklyn, ~56% vote Democratic, ~6% Republican, and ~38% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Downtown Brooklyn compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Downtown Brooklyn leans more Democratic than 49 of 52 neighbors.
Downtown Brooklyn runs about 67 points more Democratic than New York as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Downtown Brooklyn. The west side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+87) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+71), a spread of about 16 points.
Why Downtown Brooklyn 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 Brooklyn, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in Downtown Brooklyn live in densely developed areas, about 64 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Downtown Brooklyn sits in the top quarter (about 80%, above 97% of neighborhoods). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 56% of adults in Downtown Brooklyn have never been married, above 89% of neighborhoods.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY 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 Brooklyn looks the way it does
Turnout in Downtown Brooklyn 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
- Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, NY D+77
- Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn, NY D+75
- Dumbo, Brooklyn, NY D+76
- Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, NY D+79
- Columbia Street Waterfront District, Brooklyn, NY D+78
- Fort Green, Brooklyn, NY D+78
- Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, NY D+74
- Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, NY D+69
- Lower East Side, Manhattan, NY D+47
- Red Hook, Brooklyn, NY D+62
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Beresford, San Mateo, CA D+52
- Shawnee, Louisville, KY D+86
- Spenard, Anchorage, AK D+29
- Kensington, Buffalo, NY D+76
- Mondawin-Walbrook, Baltimore, MD D+86
- Airport-Pines Road, Shreveport, LA D+47
- Cathedral Park, Portland, OR D+66
- Hillcrest, San Diego, CA D+61
- McMurray-Huntingdon, Nashville, TN D+21
- Moanalua, Honolulu, HI D+13
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from New York 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.