Isla Vista is a Democratic stronghold. About 90% of voters here vote Democratic and 10% Republican.
About 95% of adults in Isla Vista typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Isla Vista, ~86% vote Democratic, ~9% Republican, and ~5% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Isla Vista compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Isla Vista is the most Democratic-leaning.
Isla Vista runs about 60 points more Democratic than California as a whole.
Why Isla Vista 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 Isla Vista, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 88% of adults in Isla Vista hold a bachelor's degree, about 60 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and Isla Vista sits in the top fifth on density (about 77%, above 93% of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 97% of adults in Isla Vista have never been married, in the top fraction of cities.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Isla Vista, CA sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Isla Vista looks the way it does
Turnout in Isla Vista 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
- Goleta, CA D+53
- Ellwood, CA D+37
- Santa Barbara, CA D+49
- Montecito, CA D+40
- Summerland, CA D+38
- Toro Canyon, CA D+31
- Carpinteria, CA D+37
- Santa Ynez, CA D+6
- Solvang, CA D+13
- Los Olivos, CA D+14
Cities with Similar Populations
- Litchfield Corners, ME R+25
- Sharpe, KY R+60
- Elmo, UT R+72
- Carpendale, WV R+54
- Nuremberg, PA R+44
- Brandon, IA R+41
- Tolani Lake, AZ D+59
- Tony, WI R+47
- Utica, IN R+29
- Snows Hill, TN R+65
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.