Midtown is a Democratic stronghold. About 79% of voters here vote Democratic and 21% Republican.
About 57% of adults in Midtown typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Midtown, ~45% vote Democratic, ~12% Republican, and ~43% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Midtown compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Midtown leans more Democratic than 17 of 43 neighbors.
Midtown runs about 46 points more Democratic than New York as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Midtown. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+63) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+42), a spread of about 21 points.
Why Midtown 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 Midtown, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in Midtown live in densely developed areas, about 64 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Midtown sits in the top quarter (about 82%, above 97% of neighborhoods). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 50% of adults in Midtown have never been married, above 81% of neighborhoods.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Midtown, Manhattan, NY sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in Midtown looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 70% of households in Midtown rent, about 45 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Strong routine healthcare access lines up with higher turnout, and Midtown sits in the top quarter on routine-care measures. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and Midtown sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Theater District, Manhattan, NY D+63
- North Sutton Area, Manhattan, NY D+55
- Garment District, Manhattan, NY D+63
- Clinton, Manhattan, NY D+64
- Murray Hill, Manhattan, NY D+58
- Upper East Side, Manhattan, NY D+56
- Kips Bay, Manhattan, NY D+62
- Roosevelt Island, Manhattan, NY D+57
- Chelsea, Manhattan, NY D+65
- Gramercy, Manhattan, NY D+65
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Morris Heights, Bronx, NY D+43
- Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL D+62
- West, Fresno, CA D+5
- McLane, Fresno, CA D+10
- West Ridge, Chicago, IL D+21
- Oak Lawn, Dallas, TX D+20
- Northwest, Anaheim, CA D+15
- South East, Fort Worth, TX D+53
- Little Havana, Miami, FL R+15
- Fresno-High, Fresno, CA D+23
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from New York State Board 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.