Over-the-Rhine is a Democratic stronghold. About 84% of voters here vote Democratic and 16% Republican.
About 56% of adults in Over-the-Rhine typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Over-the-Rhine, ~47% vote Democratic, ~9% Republican, and ~44% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Over-the-Rhine compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Over-the-Rhine leans more Democratic than 13 of 18 neighbors.
Over-the-Rhine runs about 80 points more Democratic than Ohio as a whole. Ohio leans Republican overall, while Over-the-Rhine is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Over-the-Rhine. The northeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+78) and the southwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+60), a spread of about 18 points.
Why Over-the-Rhine 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 Over-the-Rhine, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in Over-the-Rhine live in densely developed areas, about 64 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 61% of adults in Over-the-Rhine have never been married, above 94% of neighborhoods. Over-the-Rhine runs against the grain of Ohio, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati, OH 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 Over-the-Rhine looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 68% of households in Over-the-Rhine rent, about 43 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and Over-the-Rhine sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- West End, Cincinnati, OH D+75
- Mount Auburn, Cincinnati, OH D+67
- Central Business District, Cincinnati, OH D+52
- Cuf, Cincinnati, OH D+54
- Corryville, Cincinnati, OH D+54
- Walnut Hills, Cincinnati, OH D+74
- Clifton, Cincinnati, OH D+68
- Avondale, Cincinnati, OH D+83
- East Price Hill, Cincinnati, OH D+36
- South Fairmount, Cincinnati, OH D+54
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- University Town Center, Irvine, CA D+33
- North Division, Milwaukee, WI D+86
- Goddard, Seabrook, MD D+71
- Rancho Buena, Tucson, AZ D+32
- East Ridge-Ptarmigan Park, Aurora, CO D+34
- Lyon Park, Arlington, VA D+56
- Highland, Austin, TX D+61
- La Mer, Parlin, NJ D+15
- Flosden, Vallejo, CA D+26
- North Springfield, Springfield, VA D+26
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.