Near South leans heavily Democratic by roughly 44 points: about 72% of voters vote Democratic and 28% Republican.
About 47% of adults in Near South typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Near South, ~34% vote Democratic, ~13% Republican, and ~53% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Near South compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Near South leans more Democratic than 22 of 23 neighbors.
Near South runs about 65 points more Democratic than Nebraska as a whole. Nebraska leans Republican overall, while Near South is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Near South. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+53) and the southwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+29), a spread of about 24 points.
Why Near South 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 South, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in Near South 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 South have never been married, above 83% of neighborhoods. Near South runs against the grain of Nebraska, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Near South, Lincoln, NE sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Near South looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 66% of households in Near South rent, about 41 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and Near South sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Everett, Lincoln, NE D+40
- Downtown Lincoln, Lincoln, NE D+42
- Woods Park, Lincoln, NE D+37
- South Salt Creek, Lincoln, NE D+29
- Country Club, Lincoln, NE D+40
- Indian Village, Lincoln, NE D+32
- Malone, Lincoln, NE D+38
- 40th and A, Lincoln, NE D+28
- Hartley, Lincoln, NE D+36
- Greater South, Lincoln, NE D+15
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Greater Gardendale, San Antonio, TX D+29
- Claytown, Detroit, MI D+16
- Oak Park-Northwood, San Antonio, TX D+8
- Jordan, Minneapolis, MN D+63
- Moreno Mission, San Diego, CA D+40
- City College Area, Long Beach, CA D+18
- Corbett-Terwilliger-Lair Hill, Portland, OR D+68
- Yerdemont, San Bernardino, CA Even
- Lakeview-Bakersfield, Bakersfield, CA D+25
- Indiana University, Bloomington, IN D+60
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Nebraska 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.