Holyoke leans Democratic by roughly 26 points: about 63% of voters vote Democratic and 37% Republican.
About 53% of adults in Holyoke typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Holyoke, ~34% vote Democratic, ~20% Republican, and ~46% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Holyoke compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Holyoke leans more Democratic than 52 of 90 neighbors.
Politically, Holyoke sits close to the rest of Massachusetts.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Holyoke. The north side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+35) and the southwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+17), a spread of about 18 points.
Why Holyoke 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 Holyoke, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 84% of residents in Holyoke live in densely developed areas, about 48 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 50% of adults in Holyoke have never been married, above 98% of cities.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Holyoke, MA sits in the top tenth 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 Holyoke looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Holyoke 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 59% of households in Holyoke rent, compared to around 29% in nearby cities. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 30% of adults in Holyoke report food insecurity, above 95% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Chicopee, MA D+7
- South Hadley, MA D+34
- Easthampton, MA D+36
- Southampton, MA Even
- West Springfield Town, MA D+5
- Granby, MA Even
- Indian Orchard, MA D+25
- Springfield, MA D+14
- Ludlow Center, MA R+16
- Westfield, MA Even
Cities with Similar Populations
- Blackwood, NJ D+2
- Wenatchee, WA R+5
- Temple City, CA D+13
- Los Altos, CA D+40
- Midvale, UT D+22
- Shrewsbury, MA D+22
- Florence, AZ R+17
- Montclair, CA D+15
- Fenton, MO R+18
- Hinesville, GA D+27
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, 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.