Near East is a Democratic stronghold. About 88% of voters here vote Democratic and 12% Republican.
About 61% of adults in Near East typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Near East, ~54% vote Democratic, ~7% Republican, and ~39% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Near East compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Near East leans more Democratic than 22 of 25 neighbors.
Near East runs about 87 points more Democratic than Ohio as a whole. Ohio leans Republican overall, while Near East is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Near East. The east side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+79) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+65), a spread of about 14 points.
Why Near East 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 Near East, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in Near East live in densely developed areas, about 64 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 51% of adults in Near East have never been married, above 84% of neighborhoods. Near East runs against the grain of Ohio, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Near East, Columbus, OH 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 Near East looks the way it does
High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, mostly because the housing stress common in those areas makes voting harder. Near East sits in the top 15% nationally on a violent-crime measure. See CrimeGrade for more details. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Southern Orchards, Columbus, OH D+74
- Near Southside, Columbus, OH D+72
- Downtown Columbus, Columbus, OH D+55
- Southside Columbus, Columbus, OH D+59
- Italian Village, Columbus, OH D+53
- North Central, Columbus, OH D+78
- Berwick, Columbus, OH D+62
- Eastmoor, Columbus, OH D+56
- South Side, Columbus, OH D+50
- Victorian Village, Columbus, OH D+60
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- North West Long Beach, Long Beach, CA D+49
- Desert Shores, Las Vegas, NV D+22
- Talbot's Corner, Nashville, TN D+59
- Old Everett, Lansing, MI D+33
- Brewerytown, Philadelphia, PA D+85
- Tower Grove South, St. Louis, MO D+65
- Pine Hills, Albany, NY D+62
- Wedgwood, Seattle, WA D+76
- Maple Leaf, Seattle, WA D+78
- Congress Heights, Washington, DC D+86
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Ohio 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.