Maplewood is a Democratic stronghold. About 88% of voters here vote Democratic and 12% Republican.
About 80% of adults in Maplewood typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Maplewood, ~70% vote Democratic, ~10% Republican, and ~20% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Maplewood compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Maplewood leans more Democratic than 266 of 268 neighbors.
Maplewood runs about 70 points more Democratic than New Jersey as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Maplewood. The southwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+80) and the west side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+66), a spread of about 14 points.
Why Maplewood 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 Maplewood, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 97% of residents in Maplewood live in densely developed areas, about 61 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Maplewood sits in the top quarter (about 73%, in the top fraction of cities).
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Maplewood, NJ sits in the top tenth 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 Maplewood looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Maplewood is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 75%, about 15 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Vauxhall, NJ D+74
- South Orange, NJ D+73
- Irvington, NJ D+78
- Millburn, NJ D+46
- Union, NJ D+32
- Hillside, NJ D+51
- Short Hills, NJ D+35
- Orange, NJ D+72
- Springfield, NJ D+18
- East Orange, NJ D+80
Cities with Similar Populations
- Lithia Springs, GA D+41
- Branson, MO R+43
- Terrytown, LA D+27
- McKeesport, PA D+19
- University Park, TX R+13
- Morton Grove, IL D+13
- Cortland, NY R+4
- Picayune, MS R+45
- Clinton, IA R+8
- Mont Belvieu, TX R+58
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from New Jersey Division 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.