New York Political Map | Democrat & Republican Areas in New York

By the BestNeighborhood data science team. Last updated May 2026.

New York leans Democratic by roughly 16 points: about 58% of voters vote Democratic and 42% Republican.

 

About 60% of adults in New York typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in New York, ~35% vote Democratic, ~25% Republican, and ~40% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.

How New York compares

Among states within 500 miles, New York leans more Democratic than 9 of 14 neighbors.

Politics vary noticeably by county within New York. The south side runs the most Democratic (D+34) and the north side runs the most Republican (R+18), a spread of about 52 points.

Why New York leans the way it does

This analysis examined 14,881 data points per state to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for New York, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.

Dense areas vote Democratic. About 82% of residents in New York live in densely developed areas, about 45 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and New York sits in the top quarter (about 40%, above 84% of states). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 39% of adults in New York have never been married, above 98% of states.

Walkability and Democratic lean

Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; New York sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.

Why turnout in New York looks the way it does

Renters vote less often than owners. About 45% of households in New York rent, about 20 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Crowded housing lines up with lower turnout, and about 6% of homes in New York have more than one occupant per room, above 94% of states. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 88% of adults in New York have completed high school, below 86% of states. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.

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.