Orleans Parish is a Democratic stronghold. About 82% of voters here vote Democratic and 18% Republican.
About 59% of adults in Orleans Parish typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Orleans Parish, ~48% vote Democratic, ~11% Republican, and ~41% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Orleans Parish compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Orleans Parish is the most Democratic-leaning.
Orleans Parish runs about 85 points more Democratic than Louisiana as a whole. Louisiana leans Republican overall, while Orleans Parish is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Orleans Parish. The northeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+77) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+4), a spread of about 73 points.
Why Orleans Parish leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per county to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Orleans Parish, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 94% of residents in Orleans Parish live in densely developed areas, about 58 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Orleans Parish sits in the top quarter (about 42%, above 93% of counties). Orleans Parish runs against the grain of Louisiana, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Orleans Parish, LA sits in the top tenth 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 Orleans Parish looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 47% of households in Orleans Parish rent, about 23 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 27% of adults in Orleans Parish report food insecurity, above 93% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Jefferson Parish, LA D+4
- St. Bernard Parish, LA R+14
- Plaquemines Parish, LA R+27
- St. Charles Parish, LA R+25
- St. John the Baptist Parish, LA D+27
- St. Tammany Parish, LA R+35
- Lafourche Parish, LA R+55
- St. James Parish, LA D+3
- Tangipahoa Parish, LA R+31
- Hancock County, MS R+53
Counties with Similar Populations
- Lake County, FL R+25
- Lane County, OR D+21
- Forsyth County, NC D+18
- Allen County, IN R+5
- Mercer County, NJ D+38
- Madison County, AL R+5
- Osceola County, FL Even
- Butler County, OH R+20
- Marion County, FL R+28
- Collier County, FL R+20
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Louisiana 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.