Morningside Heights is a Democratic stronghold. About 88% of voters here vote Democratic and 12% Republican.
About 45% of adults in Morningside Heights typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Morningside Heights, ~40% vote Democratic, ~5% Republican, and ~55% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Morningside Heights compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Morningside Heights leans more Democratic than 36 of 37 neighbors.
Morningside Heights runs about 63 points more Democratic than New York as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Morningside Heights. The southeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+83) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+68), a spread of about 15 points.
Why Morningside Heights 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 Morningside Heights, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 70% of adults in Morningside Heights hold a bachelor's degree, about 42 points above the U.S. average of 28%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 64% of adults in Morningside Heights have never been married, above 96% of neighborhoods.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Morningside Heights, Manhattan, NY sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Morningside Heights looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 79% of households in Morningside Heights rent, about 54 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Harlem, Manhattan, NY D+78
- Hamilton Heights, Manhattan, NY D+63
- East Harlem, Manhattan, NY D+61
- Yorkville, Manhattan, NY D+59
- Upper West Side, Manhattan, NY D+71
- Carnegie Hill, Manhattan, NY D+60
- Mott Haven, Bronx, NY D+47
- Upper East Side, Manhattan, NY D+56
- Highbridge, Bronx, NY D+41
- Washington Heights, Manhattan, NY D+49
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Oak Cliff, Dallas, TX D+38
- University, Columbus, OH D+56
- Pacific, Stockton, CA D+24
- Capitol Hill, Seattle, WA D+79
- Norwood Park, Chicago, IL Even
- Far West, Fort Worth, TX R+23
- Unionport, Bronx, NY D+39
- Bay Area, Corpus Christi, TX Even
- Far North, Columbus, OH D+26
- Richmondtown, Staten Island, NY R+41
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.