Downtown is a Democratic stronghold. About 92% of voters here vote Democratic and 8% Republican.
About 50% of adults in Downtown typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Downtown, ~46% vote Democratic, ~4% Republican, and ~50% 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 11 of 12 neighbors.
Downtown runs about 68 points more Democratic than Delaware as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Downtown. The southeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+90) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+71), a spread of about 19 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.
Areas with many never-married adults vote Democratic. About 63% of adults in Downtown have never been married, well above similar-sized neighborhoods (around 46%).
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Downtown, Wilmington, DE sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Downtown looks the way it does
Areas with high food insecurity turn out at lower rates. About 39% of adults in Downtown report food insecurity, about 23 points above the U.S. average of 16%. Limited routine healthcare access lines up with lower turnout, and Downtown sits in the bottom quarter on routine-care measures. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 68% of households in Downtown rent, compared to around 47% in nearby neighborhoods. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Cool Springs, Wilmington, DE D+69
- Brandywine Village, Wilmington, DE D+79
- Browntown, Wilmington, DE D+71
- Hilltop, Wilmington, DE D+64
- Baynard Village, Wilmington, DE D+80
- Hedgeville, Wilmington, DE D+55
- 9th Ward, Wilmington, DE D+85
- The Flats, Wilmington, DE D+68
- Northwest Wilmington, Wilmington, DE D+75
- Highlands, Wilmington, DE D+50
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- East Westwood, Cincinnati, OH D+80
- Westchester, Charlotte, NC D+72
- Kingsley, Buffalo, NY D+84
- Mesa Junction, Pueblo, CO D+27
- Ghent Square, Norfolk, VA D+39
- Jeff Davis, Richmond, VA D+58
- Long Branch Creek, Arlington, VA D+59
- Eastland Park-Dixie Plantation, Lexington, KY D+17
- Berkeley Hills, Emporia, KS D+6
- Wachter's, Bismarck, ND R+18
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Delaware Department 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.