Highland leans slightly Democratic by roughly 6 points: about 53% of voters vote Democratic and 47% Republican.
About 46% of adults in Highland typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Highland, ~24% vote Democratic, ~22% Republican, and ~54% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Highland compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Highland leans more Democratic than 54 of 64 neighbors.
Highland runs about 14 points more Republican than California as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Highland. The west side runs the most Democratic (D+22) and the northeast side runs the most Republican (R+16), a spread of about 38 points.
Why Highland 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 Highland, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 90% of residents in Highland live in densely developed areas, about 54 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 44% of adults in Highland have never been married, above 96% of cities.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Highland, CA 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 Highland looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Highland 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 37% of households in Highland rent, above 92% of cities. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 28% of adults in Highland report food insecurity, above 94% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Redlands, CA D+3
- Loma Linda, CA D+12
- San Bernardino, CA D+18
- Mentone, CA R+18
- Smiley Park, CA R+43
- Rimforest, CA R+18
- Colton, CA D+17
- Crest Park, CA R+19
- Running Springs, CA R+27
- Skyforest, CA R+18
Cities with Similar Populations
- Bolingbrook, IL D+29
- Rockville, MD D+50
- Salisbury, NC R+14
- Bossier City, LA R+16
- Fort Pierce, FL D+4
- Wake Forest, NC D+9
- Mount Vernon, NY D+69
- Lodi, CA R+8
- Redlands, CA D+3
- Rocklin, CA R+9
All Local Stats
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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.