Otsego County leans slightly Republican by roughly 6 points: about 47% of voters vote Democratic and 53% Republican.
About 66% of adults in Otsego County typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Otsego County, ~31% vote Democratic, ~35% Republican, and ~34% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Otsego County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Otsego County is the least Republican-leaning.
Otsego County runs about 18 points more Republican than New York as a whole. New York leans Democratic overall, while Otsego County is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Otsego County. The south side runs the most Democratic (D+22) and the northwest side runs the most Republican (R+41), a spread of about 63 points.
Why Otsego County 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 Otsego County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Otsego County votes against the grain of New York. New York leans Democratic overall, while Otsego County runs about 18 points more Republican.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Otsego County, NY sits above the national average 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 Otsego County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Otsego County 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 63%, above 69% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Delaware County, NY R+17
- Chenango County, NY R+36
- Schoharie County, NY R+29
- Herkimer County, NY R+29
- Oneida County, NY R+13
- Montgomery County, NY R+24
- Madison County, NY R+13
- Fulton County, NY R+28
- Broome County, NY D+3
- Cortland County, NY R+17
Counties with Similar Populations
- Pike County, PA R+21
- Pickaway County, OH R+41
- Columbia County, WI R+17
- Huron County, OH R+44
- Carson City, NV R+11
- Newton County, MO R+54
- Genesee County, NY R+29
- Pike County, KY R+63
- Kenai Peninsula Borough, AK R+27
- Autauga County, AL R+41
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from New York 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.