North East leans Republican by roughly 26 points: about 37% of voters vote Democratic and 63% Republican.
About 77% of adults in North East typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in North East, ~28% vote Democratic, ~49% Republican, and ~23% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How North East compares
Among cities within 25 miles, North East leans more Republican than 66 of 117 neighbors.
North East runs about 54 points more Republican than Maryland as a whole. Maryland leans Democratic overall, while North East is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within North East. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+34) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+12), a spread of about 22 points.
Why North East 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 North East, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
North East votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 33%, modestly below the Maryland average of 43%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here. North East runs against the grain of Maryland, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; North East, MD 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 North East looks the way it does
Turnout in North East sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Charlestown, MD R+19
- Theodore, MD R+56
- Principio Furnace, MD R+28
- Colonial Acres, MD R+11
- Elkton, MD R+17
- Perryville, MD R+22
- Blueball, MD R+44
- Perry Point, MD R+14
- Port Deposit, MD R+45
Cities with Similar Populations
- North Druid Hills, GA D+48
- Voorhees, NJ D+25
- Groves, TX R+30
- Mineral Wells, TX R+55
- Holly Springs, GA R+37
- East Lake, FL R+21
- North Babylon, NY R+9
- Tinton Falls, NJ Even
- Indian Land, SC R+20
- Central, LA R+47
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Maryland 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.