Highland Terrace is a Democratic stronghold. About 78% of voters here vote Democratic and 22% Republican.
About 36% of adults in Highland Terrace typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Highland Terrace, ~28% vote Democratic, ~8% Republican, and ~64% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Highland Terrace compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Highland Terrace leans more Democratic than 7 of 68 neighbors.
Highland Terrace runs about 35 points more Democratic than California as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Highland Terrace. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+69) and the east side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+47), a spread of about 22 points.
Why Highland Terrace leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per neighborhood to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Highland Terrace, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in Highland Terrace live in densely developed areas, about 64 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 49% of adults in Highland Terrace have never been married, above 80% of neighborhoods.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Highland Terrace, Oakland, CA sits in the top quarter 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 Terrace looks the way it does
Crowded housing lines up with lower turnout. About 13% of homes in Highland Terrace have more than one occupant per room, above 95% of neighborhoods. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 65% of households in Highland Terrace rent, about 40 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and Highland Terrace sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Rancho San Antonio, Oakland, CA D+50
- Lynn-Highland Park, Oakland, CA D+62
- Clinton, Oakland, CA D+58
- Reservoir Hills, Oakland, CA D+53
- Cleveland Heights, Oakland, CA D+74
- Merritt, Oakland, CA D+64
- Jingletown, Oakland, CA D+55
- Trestle Glen, Oakland, CA D+80
- Glenview, Oakland, CA D+79
- Dimond, Oakland, CA D+67
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Belding Woods, Richmond, CA D+49
- Swan, Grand Rapids, MI D+45
- Downer Woods, Milwaukee, WI D+55
- Meadowbrook, Syracuse, NY D+63
- Myers, Tucson, AZ D+24
- New Bethel, Indianapolis, IN R+17
- Oriole Margate Golf Course, Margate, FL D+18
- Rivers Bend Estates, Lafayette, LA R+43
- Arcadia, Kalamazoo, MI D+43
- Belle Vista, Youngstown, OH D+21
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.