Pacific Grove is a Democratic stronghold. About 77% of voters here vote Democratic and 23% Republican.
About 78% of adults in Pacific Grove typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Pacific Grove, ~60% vote Democratic, ~18% Republican, and ~22% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Pacific Grove compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Pacific Grove is the most Democratic-leaning.
Pacific Grove runs about 35 points more Democratic than California as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Pacific Grove. The east side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+62) and the southwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+48), a spread of about 14 points.
Why Pacific Grove leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per city to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Pacific Grove, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 93% of residents in Pacific Grove live in densely developed areas, about 57 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Pacific Grove sits in the top quarter (about 59%, above 96% of cities).
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Pacific Grove, CA sits in the top tenth nationally 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 Pacific Grove looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Pacific Grove 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 75%, about 15 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Del Monte Forest, CA D+34
- Monterey, CA D+40
- Sand City, CA D+33
- Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA D+44
- Del Rey Oaks, CA D+27
- Seaside, CA D+36
- Carmel, CA D+35
- Carmel Highlands, CA D+47
- Marina, CA D+32
- Robles Del Rio, CA D+30
Cities with Similar Populations
- Kenmore, NY D+33
- Spring Branch, TX R+51
- Short Hills, NJ D+35
- Richlands, NC R+46
- Berkley, MI D+31
- Norridge, IL R+21
- Ellwood City, PA R+34
- Warrington, FL R+14
- Byram, MS D+52
- Wallkill, NY R+20
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.