New Paltz is a Democratic stronghold. About 76% of voters here vote Democratic and 24% Republican.
About 63% of adults in New Paltz typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in New Paltz, ~48% vote Democratic, ~15% Republican, and ~37% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How New Paltz compares
Among cities within 25 miles, New Paltz leans more Democratic than 117 of 125 neighbors.
New Paltz runs about 39 points more Democratic than New York as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within New Paltz. The north side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+56) and the south side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+16), a spread of about 40 points.
Why New Paltz leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per city to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for New Paltz, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 64% of adults in New Paltz hold a bachelor's degree, about 36 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and New Paltz sits in the top fifth on density (about 49%, above 87% of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 52% of adults in New Paltz have never been married, above 98% of cities.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; New Paltz, NY sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in New Paltz looks the way it does
Areas with high high-school completion turn out at higher rates. About 97% of adults in New Paltz have completed high school, about 6 points above the New York average of 91%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Ohioville, NY D+26
- Springtown, NY D+44
- Clintondale, NY R+15
- Highland, NY D+8
- Modena, NY R+11
- High Falls, NY D+34
- Tillson, NY D+22
- Gardiner, NY D+13
- Ireland Corners, NY D+31
Cities with Similar Populations
- Ham Lake, MN R+27
- Grenada, MS Even
- Brazil, IN R+49
- South Houston, TX D+7
- Eatonton, GA R+19
- Cottage Grove, OR R+8
- Lindale, TX R+63
- Bay Village, OH D+18
- Carpinteria, CA D+37
- Barre, VT D+3
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.