Golden Hills leans heavily Republican by roughly 38 points: about 31% of voters vote Democratic and 69% Republican.
About 77% of adults in Golden Hills typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Golden Hills, ~24% vote Democratic, ~53% Republican, and ~23% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Golden Hills compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Golden Hills leans more Republican than 6 of 14 neighbors.
Golden Hills runs about 58 points more Republican than California as a whole. California leans Democratic overall, while Golden Hills is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Golden Hills. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+48) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+32), a spread of about 16 points.
Why Golden Hills 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 Golden Hills, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Golden Hills votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 67%, modestly above the California average of 58%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here. Golden Hills runs against the grain of California, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Golden Hills, CA sits in the top quarter 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 Golden Hills looks the way it does
Turnout in Golden Hills sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Tehachapi, CA R+29
- Monolith, CA R+47
- Keene, CA R+41
- Bear Valley Springs, CA R+38
- Stallion Springs, CA R+47
- Loraine, CA R+48
- Caliente, CA R+47
- Mojave, CA R+17
- Edmundson Acres, CA Even
- Arvin, CA D+9
Cities with Similar Populations
- Springfield, GA R+38
- Toronto, OH R+45
- Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos, CA R+37
- New Richmond, OH R+50
- Valdese, NC R+43
- Salem, NJ D+15
- Sioux Center, IA R+47
- North Weeki Wachee, FL R+39
- Sayre, PA R+25
- Becker, MN R+42
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.