Pearl District is a Democratic stronghold. About 81% of voters here vote Democratic and 19% Republican.
About 74% of adults in Pearl District typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Pearl District, ~60% vote Democratic, ~14% Republican, and ~26% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Pearl District compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Pearl District leans more Democratic than 7 of 41 neighbors.
Pearl District runs about 48 points more Democratic than Oregon as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Pearl District. The southwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+72) and the southeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+54), a spread of about 18 points.
Why Pearl District 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 Pearl District, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 74% of adults in Pearl District hold a bachelor's degree, about 46 points above the U.S. average of 28%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 53% of adults in Pearl District have never been married, above 86% of neighborhoods.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Pearl District, Portland, OR 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 Pearl District looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Pearl District 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 72%, about 12 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and more than 99% of adults in Pearl District have completed high school, above 93% of neighborhoods. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Phinney Ridge, Seattle, WA D+83
- Lincoln Square, Chicago, IL D+54
- Westside, Atlantic City, NJ D+68
- Washington Square, Brookline, MA D+72
- Hunting Ridge, Baltimore, MD D+86
- Westmont, Everett, WA D+22
- Riverview, Kansas City, KS D+37
- Greenmount, Baltimore, MD D+87
- Historic Midtown, Wichita, KS D+32
- Mendenhall Valley, Juneau, AK D+10
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Oregon Secretary of State, Elections Division, 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.