Northwest leans Democratic by roughly 24 points: about 62% of voters vote Democratic and 38% Republican.
About 75% of adults in Northwest typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Northwest, ~46% vote Democratic, ~29% Republican, and ~25% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Northwest compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Northwest leans more Democratic than 3 of 5 neighbors.
Northwest runs about 35 points more Democratic than Ohio as a whole. Ohio leans Republican overall, while Northwest is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Northwest. The southeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+33) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+15), a spread of about 18 points.
Why Northwest 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 Northwest, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Northwest votes against the grain of Ohio. Ohio leans Republican overall, while Northwest runs about 35 points more Democratic. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Northwest sits in the top quarter (about 57%, above 78% of neighborhoods).
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Northwest, Columbus, OH sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Northwest looks the way it does
Turnout in Northwest 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
- Dexter Falls, Columbus, OH D+21
- Clintonville, Columbus, OH D+58
- Scioto Trace, Columbus, OH D+19
- Far North, Columbus, OH D+26
- Tuttle West, Dublin, OH D+14
- Olentangy River Road, Columbus, OH D+34
- North Linden, Columbus, OH D+37
- University, Columbus, OH D+56
- Tri-Village, Columbus, OH D+48
- Northland, Columbus, OH D+38
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- North, Raleigh, NC D+27
- East Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY D+81
- North Valley, San Jose, CA D+27
- Bay Ridge-Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn, NY D+9
- Cordova-Appling, Cordova, TN D+30
- Evergreen, San Jose, CA D+22
- Cobbs Creek, Philadelphia, PA D+83
- Parkchester, Bronx, NY D+35
- East End, Houston, TX D+31
- North Long Beach, Long Beach, CA D+39
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.