Downtown West is a Democratic stronghold. About 80% of voters here vote Democratic and 20% Republican.
About 69% of adults in Downtown West typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Downtown West, ~55% vote Democratic, ~14% Republican, and ~31% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Downtown West compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Downtown West leans more Democratic than 7 of 53 neighbors.
Downtown West runs about 56 points more Democratic than Minnesota as a whole.
Why Downtown West 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 West, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 60% of adults in Downtown West hold a bachelor's degree, about 32 points above the U.S. average of 28%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 62% of adults in Downtown West have never been married, above 94% of neighborhoods.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Downtown West, Minneapolis, MN 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 West looks the way it does
Turnout in Downtown West 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
- North Loop, Minneapolis, MN D+65
- Downtown East, Minneapolis, MN D+65
- Elliot Park, Minneapolis, MN D+63
- Loring Park, Minneapolis, MN D+69
- Stevens Square, Minneapolis, MN D+71
- Ventura Village, Minneapolis, MN D+62
- Cedar-Riverside, Minneapolis, MN D+66
- Marcy Holmes, Minneapolis, MN D+59
- Lowry Hill, Minneapolis, MN D+74
- Phillips West, Minneapolis, MN D+54
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Grant Ferry, Buffalo, NY D+54
- Willard-Hay, Minneapolis, MN D+72
- Bemiss, Spokane, WA D+2
- Cochran's Crossing, The Woodlands, TX R+27
- Moreland, Chicago, IL D+77
- Oakland, Pittsburgh, PA D+58
- Weinland Park, Columbus, OH D+61
- Rossville, Staten Island, NY R+57
- Rohnerville, Fortuna, CA D+6
- South Coconut Grove, Miami, FL D+26
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Minnesota 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.