Meridian-Kessler is a Democratic stronghold. About 79% of voters here vote Democratic and 21% Republican.
About 85% of adults in Meridian-Kessler typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Meridian-Kessler, ~67% vote Democratic, ~18% Republican, and ~15% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Meridian-Kessler compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Meridian-Kessler leans more Democratic than 1 of 8 neighbors.
Meridian-Kessler runs about 76 points more Democratic than Indiana as a whole. Indiana leans Republican overall, while Meridian-Kessler is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Meridian-Kessler. The east side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+64) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+46), a spread of about 18 points.
Why Meridian-Kessler leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per neighborhood to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Meridian-Kessler, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 76% of adults in Meridian-Kessler hold a bachelor's degree, about 48 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Meridian-Kessler runs against the grain of Indiana, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Meridian-Kessler, Indianapolis, IN sits in the top quarter 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 Meridian-Kessler looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Meridian-Kessler 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 73%, about 13 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 98% of adults in Meridian-Kessler have completed high school, above 87% of neighborhoods. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Broad Ripple, Indianapolis, IN D+48
- Mapleton-Fall Creek, Indianapolis, IN D+73
- Highland Vicinity, Indianapolis, IN D+77
- Martindale-Brightwood, Indianapolis, IN D+66
- Venerable Flackville, Indianapolis, IN D+70
- Devington, Indianapolis, IN D+78
- St. Joseph Historic Neighborhood, Indianapolis, IN D+62
- Chatham-Arch, Indianapolis, IN D+57
- Nora, Indianapolis, IN D+34
- Little Flower, Indianapolis, IN D+46
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Five Oaks, Beaverton, OR D+41
- Russian Jack Park, Anchorage, AK D+23
- Millenia, Orlando, FL D+34
- Yorkmount, Charlotte, NC D+47
- Lawncrest, Philadelphia, PA D+59
- Woodlawn Hayattsville, Hyattsville, MD D+65
- Old North Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI D+85
- Allandale, Austin, TX D+54
- Interbay, Seattle, WA D+74
- Radburn, Fair Lawn, NJ D+8
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Indiana 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.