Palmetto leans Democratic by roughly 28 points: about 64% of voters vote Democratic and 36% Republican.
About 49% of adults in Palmetto typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Palmetto, ~31% vote Democratic, ~18% Republican, and ~51% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Palmetto compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Palmetto leans more Democratic than 80 of 81 neighbors.
Politically, Palmetto sits close to the rest of Maryland.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Palmetto. The east side runs the most Democratic (D+37) and the northwest side runs the most Republican (R+3), a spread of about 40 points.
Why Palmetto 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 Palmetto, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with many never-married adults vote Democratic. About 64% of adults in Palmetto have never been married, far above similar-sized cities (around 24%). High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Palmetto sits in the top quarter (about 31%, above 77% of cities).
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Palmetto, MD sits in the top quarter 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 Palmetto looks the way it does
Areas with high food insecurity turn out at lower rates. About 32% of adults in Palmetto report food insecurity, about 16 points above the U.S. average of 16%. Limited routine healthcare access lines up with lower turnout, and Palmetto sits in the bottom quarter on routine-care measures. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Princess Anne, MD D+32
- Siloam, MD R+23
- Allen, MD R+10
- Eden, MD R+11
- Oakville, MD R+20
- Westover, MD R+4
- Mount Vernon, MD R+28
- Fruitland, MD D+13
- Whitehaven, MD R+24
- Monie, MD R+49
Cities with Similar Populations
- Dema, KY R+74
- Ewen, MI R+26
- Stamford, VT R+8
- Shady Grove, TN R+73
- Odessa, MN R+42
- McCallum, MS R+42
- Violet, TX R+32
- Pringle, SD R+55
- Valley City, MO R+59
- Mount Landing, VA Even
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Maryland 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.