Near Northwest leans Democratic by roughly 26 points: about 63% of voters vote Democratic and 37% Republican.
About 36% of adults in Near Northwest typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Near Northwest, ~23% vote Democratic, ~13% Republican, and ~64% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Near Northwest compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Near Northwest leans more Democratic than 1 of 4 neighbors.
Near Northwest runs about 39 points more Democratic than Texas as a whole. Texas leans Republican overall, while Near Northwest is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Near Northwest. The northeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+50) and the west side is the least Democratic-leaning (Even), a spread of about 50 points.
Why Near Northwest 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 Northwest, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Near Northwest votes against the grain of Texas. Texas leans Republican overall, while Near Northwest runs about 39 points more Democratic.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; Near Northwest, Houston, TX sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in Near Northwest looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Near Northwest is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 42%, about 12 points below the Texas average of 54%. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 73% of adults in Near Northwest have completed high school, below 92% of neighborhoods. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Greater Inwood, Houston, TX D+38
- Fairbanks-Northwest Crossing, Houston, TX D+31
- Acres Home, Houston, TX D+71
- Oak Forest-Garden Oaks, Houston, TX D+13
- Spring Branch, Houston, TX D+8
- Northside Northline, Houston, TX D+32
- Milroy Farms, Houston, TX D+43
- Airline, Houston, TX D+5
- Harvest Bend, Houston, TX D+5
- Greater Greenspoint, Houston, TX D+42
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Downtown Long Beach, Long Beach, CA D+52
- Mid City West, Los Angeles, CA D+49
- Westchester, Los Angeles, CA D+47
- Preston Hollow, Dallas, TX D+17
- Greenville, Jersey City, NJ D+51
- Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, CA D+49
- Downtown Jersey City, Jersey City, NJ D+58
- Hoover, Fresno, CA D+12
- Michael Way, Las Vegas, NV D+22
- Chicago Lawn, Chicago, IL D+58
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Texas Secretary of State, Elections Division, 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.