Downtown Lincoln leans heavily Democratic by roughly 42 points: about 71% of voters vote Democratic and 29% Republican.
About 30% of adults in Downtown Lincoln typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Downtown Lincoln, ~21% vote Democratic, ~9% Republican, and ~70% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Downtown Lincoln compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Downtown Lincoln leans more Democratic than 20 of 22 neighbors.
Downtown Lincoln runs about 63 points more Democratic than Nebraska as a whole. Nebraska leans Republican overall, while Downtown Lincoln is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Downtown Lincoln. The south side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+51) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+34), a spread of about 17 points.
Why Downtown Lincoln 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 Lincoln, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Downtown Lincoln votes against the grain of Nebraska. Nebraska leans Republican overall, while Downtown Lincoln runs about 63 points more Democratic. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 75% of adults in Downtown Lincoln have never been married, above 98% of neighborhoods.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Downtown Lincoln, Lincoln, NE sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in Downtown Lincoln looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 92% of households in Downtown Lincoln rent, about 67 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and Downtown Lincoln sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Malone, Lincoln, NE D+38
- Everett, Lincoln, NE D+40
- Near South, Lincoln, NE D+44
- South Salt Creek, Lincoln, NE D+29
- Woods Park, Lincoln, NE D+37
- Clinton, Lincoln, NE D+32
- Hartley, Lincoln, NE D+36
- 40th and A, Lincoln, NE D+28
- East Campus, Lincoln, NE D+45
- Country Club, Lincoln, NE D+40
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- The Hill Section, Scranton, PA D+23
- Village 11, Sacramento, CA D+32
- Elyria Swansea, Denver, CO D+40
- Midtown, Gary, IN D+84
- Arlington-East Falls, Arlington, VA D+57
- Hunters Green, Tampa, FL D+9
- Fairmont Park, Des Moines, IA D+7
- Croydon Park, Rockville, MD D+46
- Heritage Hill, Grand Rapids, MI D+61
- Firthtown, Phillipsburg, NJ D+8
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Nebraska 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.