Harlingen leans Democratic by roughly 22 points: about 61% of voters vote Democratic and 39% Republican.
About 85% of adults in Harlingen typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Harlingen, ~52% vote Democratic, ~33% Republican, and ~15% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Harlingen compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Harlingen leans more Democratic than 159 of 201 neighbors.
Harlingen runs about 16 points more Democratic than New Jersey as a whole.
Why Harlingen 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 Harlingen, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 75% of adults in Harlingen hold a bachelor's degree, about 46 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and Harlingen sits in the top fifth on density (about 59%, above 89% of cities).
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Harlingen, NJ sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Harlingen looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Harlingen 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 73%, about 13 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 99% of adults in Harlingen have completed high school, above 98% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Belle Mead, NJ D+25
- Skillman, NJ D+26
- Hillsborough, NJ D+8
- Griggstown, NJ D+25
- East Rocky Hill, NJ D+16
- Rocky Hill, NJ D+41
- Millstone, NJ D+6
- Pleasant Plains, NJ D+22
- Flagtown, NJ R+4
- Kingston, NJ D+15
Cities with Similar Populations
- Cobalt, ID R+69
- Marshall, WV R+69
- Kincheloe, WV R+63
- Yellow Spring, WV R+62
- Slonikers Mill, AR R+38
- Maryville, IA R+40
- Alton Station, KY R+61
- Bloomington, PA R+36
- Duckrun, KY R+78
- Haskell Flats, NY R+42
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.