Newton is a Democratic stronghold. About 79% of voters here vote Democratic and 21% Republican.
About 77% of adults in Newton typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Newton, ~61% vote Democratic, ~16% Republican, and ~23% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Newton compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Newton leans more Democratic than 146 of 164 neighbors.
Newton runs about 33 points more Democratic than Massachusetts as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Newton. The east side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+66) and the north side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+43), a spread of about 23 points.
Why Newton 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 Newton, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 76% of adults in Newton hold a bachelor's degree, about 47 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and Newton sits in the top fifth on density (about 98%, in the top fraction of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 34% of adults in Newton have never been married, above 85% of cities.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Newton, MA sits in the top tenth 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 Newton looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Newton is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 78%, about 18 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 96% of adults in Newton have completed high school, above 84% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Newtonville, MA D+63
- Watertown Town, MA D+57
- Auburndale, MA D+59
- Waban, MA D+57
- Newton Center, MA D+60
- Newton Highlands, MA D+62
- Waltham, MA D+43
- Newton Upper Falls, MA D+59
- Brighton, MA D+61
- Newton Lower Falls, MA D+54
Cities with Similar Populations
- Kennett Square, PA D+18
- Brambleton, VA D+22
- Lynn Haven, FL R+36
- Hillside, NJ D+51
- Hudson, NH R+2
- Westford, MA D+25
- Rosemont, CA D+21
- Gettysburg, PA R+12
- Matawan, NJ R+9
- Crescent City, CA R+15
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, 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.