East Central leans heavily Democratic by roughly 42 points: about 71% of voters vote Democratic and 29% Republican.
About 73% of adults in East Central typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in East Central, ~52% vote Democratic, ~21% Republican, and ~27% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How East Central compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, East Central leans more Democratic than 3 of 10 neighbors.
East Central runs about 22 points more Democratic than California as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within East Central. The west side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+53) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+19), a spread of about 34 points.
Why East Central 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 Central, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 60% of adults in East Central hold a bachelor's degree, about 31 points above the U.S. average of 28%.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; East Central, Pasadena, CA sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in East Central looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. East Central is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 72%, about 12 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Mid Central, Pasadena, CA D+51
- South East, Pasadena, CA D+56
- West Central, Pasadena, CA D+54
- Normandie Heights, Pasadena, CA D+55
- North East, Pasadena, CA D+24
- North Central, Pasadena, CA D+51
- Madison Heights, Pasadena, CA D+65
- South Arroyo, Pasadena, CA D+55
- North Arroyo, Pasadena, CA D+41
- East San Gabriel, San Gabriel, CA D+20
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- McGinley Square, Jersey City, NJ D+47
- Bronxdale, Bronx, NY D+31
- Upper Vailsburg, Newark, NJ D+80
- The Waterfront, Jersey City, NJ D+48
- Southwest, Columbus, OH Even
- Taylor Ranch, Albuquerque, NM D+15
- Richmond, Portland, OR D+87
- Mount Greenwood, Chicago, IL R+26
- Belair, Augusta, GA D+42
- Wicker Park, Chicago, IL D+71
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from California 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.