Dunellen leans slightly Democratic by roughly 6 points: about 53% of voters vote Democratic and 47% Republican.
About 67% of adults in Dunellen typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Dunellen, ~36% vote Democratic, ~31% Republican, and ~33% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Dunellen compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Dunellen leans more Democratic than 122 of 222 neighbors.
Politically, Dunellen sits close to the rest of New Jersey.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Dunellen. The northeast side runs the most Democratic (D+25) and the west side runs the most Republican (Even), a spread of about 26 points.
Why Dunellen leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per city to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Dunellen, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 84% of residents in Dunellen live in densely developed areas, about 48 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Dunellen sits in the top quarter (about 41%, above 88% of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 36% of adults in Dunellen have never been married, above 88% of cities.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Dunellen, NJ 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 Dunellen looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Dunellen is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Middlesex, NJ R+6
- North Plainfield, NJ D+31
- Warren, NJ R+4
- Piscataway, NJ D+31
- Plainfield, NJ D+57
- Watchung, NJ D+3
- South Plainfield, NJ D+2
- Bound Brook, NJ D+17
- South Bound Brook, NJ D+10
- Martinsville, NJ Even
Cities with Similar Populations
- Grand Rapids, MN R+16
- Chester Springs, PA D+17
- Fitzgerald, GA R+14
- Rhinelander, WI R+15
- Millbrook, AL R+28
- Cumberland, RI D+7
- Barre, VT D+3
- Stallings, NC R+18
- Verdigris, OK R+49
- Labelle, FL R+41
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from New Jersey Division 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.