Nearnorthwest leans heavily Democratic by roughly 48 points: about 74% of voters vote Democratic and 26% Republican.
About 47% of adults in Nearnorthwest typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Nearnorthwest, ~35% vote Democratic, ~12% Republican, and ~53% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Nearnorthwest compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Nearnorthwest is the most Democratic-leaning.
Nearnorthwest runs about 67 points more Democratic than Indiana as a whole. Indiana leans Republican overall, while Nearnorthwest is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Why Nearnorthwest 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 Nearnorthwest, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Nearnorthwest votes against the grain of Indiana. Indiana leans Republican overall, while Nearnorthwest runs about 67 points more Democratic. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 51% of adults in Nearnorthwest have never been married, above 84% of neighborhoods.
Park access and Democratic lean
Places with heavy park coverage tend to lean Democratic; Nearnorthwest, South Bend, IN sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Park access does not change how people vote; it tends to track denser, higher-income areas.
Why turnout in Nearnorthwest looks the way it does
Areas with low high-school completion turn out at lower rates. About 83% of adults in Nearnorthwest have completed high school, about 7 points below the U.S. average of 90%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Westside, South Bend, IN D+41
- Northeast, South Bend, IN D+44
- Southeast Quality, South Bend, IN D+39
- Rum Village, South Bend, IN D+29
- River Park, South Bend, IN D+21
- Edgewood, Michigan City, IN D+15
- Downtown Michigan City, Michigan City, IN D+17
- Oakland-Winchell, Kalamazoo, MI D+46
- South Westnedge, Kalamazoo, MI D+38
- Knollwood, Kalamazoo, MI D+42
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Downtown Akron, Akron, OH D+62
- Grant Beach, Springfield, MO Even
- Mills Estates, Burlingame, CA D+43
- Dahlman, Omaha, NE D+38
- Angells, Ann Arbor, MI D+69
- Hillwood Estates, Nashville, TN D+5
- Sycamore Manor, Sycamore, IL D+14
- South Side, Sandusky, OH D+20
- Arena District, San Antonio, TX D+44
- West Downtown Dearborn, Dearborn, MI D+8
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Indiana 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.