Northside is a Democratic stronghold. About 90% of voters here vote Democratic and 10% Republican.
About 70% of adults in Northside typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Northside, ~63% vote Democratic, ~7% Republican, and ~30% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Northside compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Northside is the most Democratic-leaning.
Northside runs about 81 points more Democratic than Michigan as a whole. Michigan is roughly evenly split, and Northside sits clearly on the Democratic side.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Northside. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+84) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+68), a spread of about 16 points.
Why Northside 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 Northside, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Northside votes against the grain of Michigan. Michigan is roughly evenly split, while Northside runs about 81 points more Democratic. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 64% of adults in Northside have never been married, above 95% of neighborhoods.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; Northside, Kalamazoo, MI sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in Northside looks the way it does
Turnout in Northside 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 Neighborhoods
- Vine, Kalamazoo, MI D+51
- Western Michigan University-KRPH, Kalamazoo, MI D+51
- Burke Acres, Kalamazoo, MI D+29
- Edison, Kalamazoo, MI D+43
- Westnedge Hill, Kalamazoo, MI D+50
- Arcadia, Kalamazoo, MI D+43
- Knollwood, Kalamazoo, MI D+42
- Oakland-Winchell, Kalamazoo, MI D+46
- Milwood, Kalamazoo, MI D+28
- South Westnedge, Kalamazoo, MI D+38
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Pawtuckett, Charlotte, NC D+46
- Fort Concho, San Angelo, TX R+14
- North Central Thousand Oaks, San Antonio, TX Even
- Dixie Downs, St. George, UT R+30
- The West Side, Eureka, CA D+37
- Perris Hills, San Bernardino, CA D+26
- Central East Austin, Austin, TX D+64
- Waynita-Simonds-Norway Hill, Bothell, WA D+35
- Huntington-Jefferson, Virginia Beach, VA Even
- Lakeside-Lester Park, Duluth, MN D+39
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Michigan Department 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.