Essex County, NJ Political Map | Democrat & Republican Areas in Essex County

By the BestNeighborhood data science team. Last updated May 2026.

Essex County leans heavily Democratic by roughly 48 points: about 74% of voters vote Democratic and 26% Republican.

 

About 56% of adults in Essex County typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Essex County, ~41% vote Democratic, ~15% Republican, and ~44% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.

How Essex County compares

Among counties within 50 miles, Essex County leans more Democratic than 20 of 21 neighbors.

Essex County runs about 42 points more Democratic than New Jersey as a whole.

Politics vary noticeably by city within Essex County. The south side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+79) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+7), a spread of about 72 points.

Why Essex County leans the way it does

This analysis examined 14,881 data points per county to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Essex County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.

Dense areas vote Democratic. About 97% of residents in Essex County live in densely developed areas, about 61 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Essex County sits in the top quarter (about 39%, above 91% of counties). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 43% of adults in Essex County have never been married, above 96% of counties.

Walkability and Democratic lean

Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Essex County, 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 Essex County looks the way it does

Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Essex County is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 53% of households in Essex County rent, about 28 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 25% of adults in Essex County report food insecurity, above 88% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.

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.