Downtown leans heavily Democratic by roughly 38 points: about 69% of voters vote Democratic and 31% Republican.
About 35% of adults in Downtown typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Downtown, ~24% vote Democratic, ~11% Republican, and ~65% 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 8 of 10 neighbors.
Downtown runs about 42 points more Democratic than Nevada as a whole. Nevada leans Republican overall, while Downtown is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Downtown. The southwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+47) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+32), a spread of about 14 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.
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%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 52% of adults in Downtown have never been married, above 85% of neighborhoods. Downtown runs against the grain of Nevada, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; Downtown, Las Vegas, NV sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in Downtown looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Downtown is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 45%, about 13 points below the Nevada average of 58%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 86% of households in Downtown rent, compared to around 61% in nearby neighborhoods. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 30% of adults in Downtown report food insecurity, above 83% of neighborhoods. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Huntridge, Las Vegas, NV D+29
- Cultural Corridor, Las Vegas, NV D+34
- Downtown East, Las Vegas, NV D+36
- University Medical Center, Las Vegas, NV D+31
- East Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV D+30
- West Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV D+52
- Vegas Heights, North Las Vegas, NV D+57
- Rancho Charleston, Las Vegas, NV D+23
- Sunrise, Las Vegas, NV D+26
- Twin Lakes, Las Vegas, NV D+23
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Falls of Neuse, Raleigh, NC D+31
- Belltown, Seattle, WA D+62
- Brays Oaks, Houston, TX D+42
- LaGrange, Toledo, OH D+65
- Seventh Ward, New Orleans, LA D+78
- New North End, Burlington, VT D+47
- Litte Italy, Niagara Falls, NY D+26
- Townsite, Oceanside, CA D+31
- South East Torrance, Torrance, CA D+16
- South Trenton, Trenton, NJ D+45
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Nevada Secretary of State, 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.