Old Palo Alto is a Democratic stronghold. About 84% of voters here vote Democratic and 16% Republican.
About 78% of adults in Old Palo Alto typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Old Palo Alto, ~65% vote Democratic, ~13% Republican, and ~22% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Old Palo Alto compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Old Palo Alto leans more Democratic than 21 of 22 neighbors.
Old Palo Alto runs about 49 points more Democratic than California as a whole.
Why Old Palo Alto 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 Old Palo Alto, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 87% of adults in Old Palo Alto hold a bachelor's degree, about 59 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and Old Palo Alto sits in the top fifth on density (more than 99%, above 89% of neighborhoods).
Population density, never-married share, and Democratic lean
Places that combine high population density and a low never-married share tend to lean Democratic, as Old Palo Alto, Palo Alto, CA does.
Why turnout in Old Palo Alto looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Old Palo Alto is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 79%, about 19 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 98% of adults in Old Palo Alto have completed high school, above 85% of neighborhoods. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- University South, Palo Alto, CA D+66
- Midtown-San Jose, Palo Alto, CA D+43
- Duveneck-Saint Francis, Palo Alto, CA D+44
- Crescent Park, Palo Alto, CA D+68
- Ventura, Palo Alto, CA D+49
- Stanford University, Stanford, CA D+64
- Downtown North San Jose, Palo Alto, CA D+64
- Barron Park, Palo Alto, CA D+40
- Fairmeadow, Palo Alto, CA D+43
- Downtown Menlo Park, Menlo Park, CA D+71
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- San Pedro, Robstown, TX D+19
- Turtle Run, Coral Springs, FL D+24
- Cloverleaf, Louisville, KY D+10
- Pimmit Hills, Falls Church, VA D+33
- Ridgeview Estates, Bakersfield, CA R+12
- Park Central, Orlando, FL D+37
- Larkinville, Buffalo, NY D+63
- Cooper Park, Milwaukee, WI D+47
- Downtown Waterford, Waterford, CA R+23
- Noralto, Sacramento, CA D+34
All Local Stats
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from California 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.