Independence leans slightly Republican by roughly 8 points: about 46% of voters vote Democratic and 54% Republican.
About 57% of adults in Independence typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Independence, ~26% vote Democratic, ~31% Republican, and ~43% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Independence compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Independence leans more Republican than 19 of 70 neighbors.
Independence runs about 22 points more Republican than Oregon as a whole. Oregon leans Democratic overall, while Independence is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why Independence 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 Independence, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Independence votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 54%, well above the Oregon average of 31%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here. Independence runs against the grain of Oregon, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
High-school completion, developed land, and voter turnout
Places that combine low high-school-completion share and a heavily developed built environment tend to turn out at a lower rate, as Independence, OR does.
Why turnout in Independence looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Independence 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 42% of households in Independence rent, compared to around 27% in nearby cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Monmouth, OR Even
- Suver, OR R+4
- Fir Villa, OR R+23
- Parker, OR R+3
- Eola, OR R+19
- Dallas, OR R+17
- Crowley, OR R+29
- Talbot, OR R+39
- Rickreall, OR R+29
Cities with Similar Populations
- North Wantagh, NY R+25
- Cranbury, NJ D+23
- College Place, WA R+3
- Lincoln City, OR D+17
- Keokuk, IA R+19
- Walkersville, MD R+3
- Brazoria, TX R+51
- La Feria, TX R+4
- Centerville, MA D+11
- Pagosa Springs, CO R+12
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Oregon Secretary of State, Elections Division, 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.