East Cambridge is a Democratic stronghold. About 82% of voters here vote Democratic and 18% Republican.
About 52% of adults in East Cambridge typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in East Cambridge, ~43% vote Democratic, ~9% Republican, and ~48% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How East Cambridge compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, East Cambridge leans more Democratic than 21 of 49 neighbors.
East Cambridge runs about 40 points more Democratic than Massachusetts as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within East Cambridge. The west side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+71) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+55), a spread of about 16 points.
Why East Cambridge 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 East Cambridge, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 82% of adults in East Cambridge hold a bachelor's degree, about 54 points above the U.S. average of 28%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 61% of adults in East Cambridge have never been married, above 94% of neighborhoods.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; East Cambridge, Cambridge, MA sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in East Cambridge looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 77% of households in East Cambridge rent, about 52 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Crowded housing lines up with lower turnout, and about 6% of homes in East Cambridge have more than one occupant per room, above 81% of neighborhoods. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Wellington-Harrington, Cambridge, MA D+72
- Area IV, Cambridge, MA D+74
- Downtown Crossing, Boston, MA D+61
- MIT, Cambridge, MA D+70
- Union Square, Somerville, MA D+75
- Back Bay, Boston, MA D+62
- East Somerville, Somerville, MA D+59
- Dock Square, Boston, MA D+53
- Central, Boston, MA D+53
- Mid-Cambridge, Cambridge, MA D+77
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Hyannis, Barnstable Town, MA D+18
- East Oak Hill, Austin, TX D+41
- South Lake Union, Seattle, WA D+57
- South End, Burlington, VT D+68
- Nevin, Los Angeles, CA D+45
- Darlington, Pawtucket, RI D+22
- Atwater Village, Los Angeles, CA D+53
- Naglee Park, San Jose, CA D+53
- Elmhurst, Providence, RI D+31
- Otay Mesa West, San Diego, CA D+20
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, 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.