North Central is a Democratic stronghold. About 89% of voters here vote Democratic and 11% Republican.
About 57% of adults in North Central typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in North Central, ~51% vote Democratic, ~6% Republican, and ~43% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How North Central compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, North Central leans more Democratic than 21 of 22 neighbors.
North Central runs about 90 points more Democratic than Ohio as a whole. Ohio leans Republican overall, while North Central is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Why North Central 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 Central, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
North Central votes against the grain of Ohio. Ohio leans Republican overall, while North Central runs about 90 points more Democratic. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 52% of adults in North Central have never been married, above 85% of neighborhoods.
Food insecurity and voter turnout
Places with high food insecurity tend to turn out at a lower rate; North Central, Columbus, OH sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Food insecurity does not directly drive turnout; it reflects economic hardship, which lines up with lower voting.
Why turnout in North Central looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. North Central is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 49%, about 13 points below the Ohio average of 61%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 36% of adults in North Central report food insecurity, above 90% of neighborhoods. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 81% of adults in North Central have completed high school, below 84% of neighborhoods. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Argyle Park, Columbus, OH D+80
- Fort Columbus Airport, Columbus, OH D+55
- South Linden, Columbus, OH D+75
- Northeast, Columbus, OH D+63
- Near East, Columbus, OH D+76
- North Linden, Columbus, OH D+37
- Weinland Park, Columbus, OH D+61
- Eastmoor, Columbus, OH D+56
- Italian Village, Columbus, OH D+53
- University, Columbus, OH D+56
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Raleigh Court, Roanoke, VA D+22
- University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY D+52
- University City South, Charlotte, NC D+52
- Olneyville, Providence, RI D+36
- Inverness, Dundalk, MD Even
- Wilburton, Bellevue, WA D+41
- San Gorgonio, Highland, CA D+22
- Elliot Park, Minneapolis, MN D+63
- Hillyard, Spokane, WA R+4
- Nonantum, Newton, MA D+49
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Ohio 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.