North Cambridge is a Democratic stronghold. About 85% of voters here vote Democratic and 15% Republican.
About 61% of adults in North Cambridge typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in North Cambridge, ~52% vote Democratic, ~9% Republican, and ~39% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How North Cambridge compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, North Cambridge leans more Democratic than 32 of 48 neighbors.
North Cambridge runs about 46 points more Democratic than Massachusetts as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within North Cambridge. The northeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+79) and the west side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+63), a spread of about 16 points.
Why North Cambridge leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per neighborhood to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for North Cambridge, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 75% of adults in North Cambridge hold a bachelor's degree, about 47 points above the U.S. average of 28%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 48% of adults in North Cambridge have never been married, above 78% of neighborhoods.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; North Cambridge, Cambridge, MA sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in North Cambridge looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 64% of households in North Cambridge rent, about 39 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Strong routine healthcare access lines up with higher turnout, and North Cambridge sits in the top quarter on routine-care measures. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Neighborhood Nine, Cambridge, MA D+78
- Avon Hill, Cambridge, MA D+79
- West Somerville, Somerville, MA D+63
- Tufts, Somerville, MA D+71
- Ball Square, Somerville, MA D+70
- West Cambridge, Cambridge, MA D+78
- Spring Hill, Somerville, MA D+75
- Strawberry Hill, Cambridge, MA D+78
- Aggasiz-Harvard, Cambridge, MA D+78
- Arlington Center, Arlington, MA D+71
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Waikiki, Honolulu, HI D+32
- Maplewood, Rochester, NY D+46
- Whiskey Point, Chicago, IL D+48
- Metzger, Tigard, OR D+39
- Rockaway Park, Queens, NY R+8
- Kailua Kona, Kailua-Kona, HI D+18
- Todt Hill, Staten Island, NY R+26
- Greater Rosemont, Baltimore, MD D+72
- Northwest Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO Even
- East Arlington, Jacksonville, FL R+14
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.