New York County is a Democratic stronghold. About 81% of voters here vote Democratic and 19% Republican.
About 55% of adults in New York County typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in New York County, ~45% vote Democratic, ~10% Republican, and ~45% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How New York County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, New York County is the most Democratic-leaning.
New York County runs about 49 points more Democratic than New York as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within New York County. The north side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+75) and the east side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+59), a spread of about 16 points.
Why New York County leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per county to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for New York County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in New York County live in densely developed areas, about 63 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and New York County sits in the top quarter (about 64%, in the top fraction of counties). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 50% of adults in New York County have never been married, in the top fraction of counties.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; New York County, NY sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in New York County looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 76% of households in New York County rent, about 51 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Crowded housing lines up with lower turnout, and about 5% of homes in New York County have more than one occupant per room, above 93% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Hudson County, NJ D+27
- Bronx County, NY D+43
- Queens County, NY D+23
- Kings County, NY D+34
- Bergen County, NJ D+5
- Essex County, NJ D+48
- Passaic County, NJ D+4
- Richmond County, NY R+21
- Union County, NJ D+26
- Nassau County, NY Even
Counties with Similar Populations
- Alameda County, CA D+49
- Middlesex County, MA D+37
- Philadelphia County, PA D+56
- Wayne County, MI D+33
- Sacramento County, CA D+20
- Palm Beach County, FL D+5
- Bronx County, NY D+43
- Hillsborough County, FL Even
- Santa Clara County, CA D+32
- Suffolk County, NY R+8
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.