Penfield leans Democratic by roughly 18 points: about 59% of voters vote Democratic and 41% Republican.
About 92% of adults in Penfield typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Penfield, ~54% vote Democratic, ~38% Republican, and ~8% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Penfield compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Penfield leans more Democratic than 86 of 91 neighbors.
Penfield runs about 5 points more Democratic than New York as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Penfield. The southeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+23) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+6), a spread of about 18 points.
Why Penfield 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 Penfield, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 60% of adults in Penfield hold a bachelor's degree, about 31 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and Penfield sits in the top fifth on density (about 77%, above 93% of cities).
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Penfield, NY 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 Penfield looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Penfield 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%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 97% of adults in Penfield have completed high school, above 87% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- East Rochester, NY D+18
- Fairport, NY D+22
- Webster, NY D+4
- West Walworth, NY R+15
- Brighton, NY D+50
- Pittsford, NY D+30
- Macedon, NY R+17
- Egypt, NY D+7
- Irondequoit, NY D+23
- Walworth, NY R+22
Cities with Similar Populations
- Billerica, MA D+5
- South San Jose Hills, CA D+28
- Darlington, SC D+7
- Pittsburg, KS R+16
- Crawfordsville, IN R+35
- Payson, UT R+49
- Winchester, MA D+51
- Clinton, UT R+32
- Palmetto Bay, FL R+8
- Aberdeen, MD D+12
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.