New Salem is a Republican stronghold. About 15% of voters here vote Democratic and 85% Republican.
About 78% of adults in New Salem typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in New Salem, ~12% vote Democratic, ~66% Republican, and ~22% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How New Salem compares
Among cities within 25 miles, New Salem leans more Republican than 85 of 86 neighbors.
New Salem runs about 51 points more Republican than Indiana as a whole.
Why New Salem 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 Salem, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with a high white share and below-average college attainment vote Republican. In New Salem, about 95% of residents are non-Hispanic white, about 22 points above the U.S. average of 72%; about 17% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, about 11 points below the U.S. average of 28%.
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; New Salem, IN sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in New Salem looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 94% of households in New Salem own their home, about 12 points above the Indiana average of 82%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 96% of adults in New Salem have completed high school, above 86% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Glenwood, IN R+67
- Mauzy, IN R+65
- Rushville, IN R+52
- Milroy, IN R+62
- Columbia, IN R+68
- Clarksburg, IN R+62
- Gings, IN R+66
- Laurel, IN R+70
- Williamstown, IN R+64
- Buena Vista, IN R+65
Cities with Similar Populations
- Hordville, NE R+68
- Chappel, TX R+74
- Fulton, SD R+74
- Cherryville, OR R+24
- Kekoskee, WI R+51
- Bakers Summit, PA R+74
- Kawela Bay, HI Even
- Jimtown, CA D+44
- Kegley, IL R+64
- Mount Sterling, WI R+27
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.