Hanover leans heavily Democratic by roughly 38 points: about 69% of voters vote Democratic and 31% Republican.
About 76% of adults in Hanover typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Hanover, ~52% vote Democratic, ~24% Republican, and ~24% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Hanover compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Hanover leans more Democratic than 80 of 184 neighbors.
Hanover runs about 9 points more Democratic than Maryland as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Hanover. The southwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+49) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+18), a spread of about 30 points.
Why Hanover 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 Hanover, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 55% of adults in Hanover hold a bachelor's degree, about 26 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and Hanover sits in the top fifth on density (about 78%, above 94% of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 33% of adults in Hanover have never been married, above 83% of cities.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Hanover, MD 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 Hanover looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Hanover 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 68%, about 8 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Harmans, MD D+40
- Elkridge, MD D+45
- Severn, MD D+34
- Fort Meade, MD D+40
- Jessup, MD D+48
- Annapolis Junction, MD D+44
- Linthicum Heights, MD D+17
- Ilchester, MD D+35
- Linthicum, MD D+3
- Savage, MD D+56
Cities with Similar Populations
- Rotterdam, NY R+2
- Jasmine Estates, FL R+21
- Weaverville, NC R+2
- McAlester, OK R+44
- Altoona, IA R+5
- Frankfort, IN R+39
- Live Oak, FL R+47
- Hayden, ID R+49
- Aston, PA R+5
- Elkridge, MD D+45
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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.