Houston leans heavily Republican by roughly 36 points: about 32% of voters vote Democratic and 68% Republican.
About 81% of adults in Houston typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Houston, ~26% vote Democratic, ~55% Republican, and ~19% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Houston compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Houston leans more Republican than 46 of 88 neighbors.
Houston runs about 51 points more Republican than Delaware as a whole. Delaware leans Democratic overall, while Houston is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why Houston 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 Houston, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Houston votes against the grain of Delaware. Delaware leans Democratic overall, while Houston runs about 51 points more Republican. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Houston sits in the bottom quarter (about 15%, below 77% of cities).
Park access and Republican lean
Places with low park coverage tend to lean Republican; Houston, DE sits below the national average on this measure. Park access does not change how people vote; it tends to track denser, higher-income areas.
Why turnout in Houston looks the way it does
Turnout in Houston sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Marvels Crossroads, DE R+37
- Harrington, DE R+26
- Farmington, DE R+43
- Milford, DE R+5
- Reeves Crossing, DE R+35
- Chestnut Knoll, DE R+21
- Lincoln, DE R+19
- Greenwood, DE R+43
- Vernon, DE R+54
- Ellendale, DE R+25
Cities with Similar Populations
- Hinsdale, MA Even
- Sweet Springs, MO R+54
- Chimacum, WA D+27
- McGraw, NY R+39
- La Plata, MO R+63
- Sharpsville, IN R+54
- Axson, GA R+76
- Hamshire, TX R+72
- Rye, CO R+36
- Erie, IL R+46
All Local Stats
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Delaware Department 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.