Germantown leans heavily Democratic by roughly 48 points: about 74% of voters vote Democratic and 26% Republican.
About 61% of adults in Germantown typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Germantown, ~45% vote Democratic, ~16% Republican, and ~39% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Germantown compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Germantown leans more Democratic than 116 of 169 neighbors.
Germantown runs about 19 points more Democratic than Maryland as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Germantown. The southeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+55) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+38), a spread of about 17 points.
Why Germantown 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 Germantown, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 78% of residents in Germantown live in densely developed areas, about 42 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Germantown sits in the top quarter (about 51%, above 94% of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 36% of adults in Germantown have never been married, above 88% of cities.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Germantown, MD sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in Germantown looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 32% of households in Germantown rent, about 7 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Crowded housing lines up with lower turnout, and about 4% of homes in Germantown have more than one occupant per room, above 81% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Boyds, MD D+40
- Montgomery Village, MD D+48
- Gaithersburg, MD D+43
- Cedar Grove, MD D+42
- Clarksburg, MD D+39
- Washington Grove, MD D+55
- North Potomac, MD D+46
- Redland, MD D+47
- Laytonsville, MD D+16
- Derwood, MD D+38
Cities with Similar Populations
- New Bedford, MA D+8
- Duluth, MN D+31
- Lexington, SC R+36
- Wichita Falls, TX R+26
- Lafayette, IN Even
- Lynn, MA D+23
- Lawrence, KS D+45
- Plainfield, IL D+4
- Clinton Township, MI Even
- Hesperia, CA R+23
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Maryland State Board 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.