Potsdam leans Democratic by roughly 16 points: about 58% of voters vote Democratic and 42% Republican.
About 59% of adults in Potsdam typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Potsdam, ~34% vote Democratic, ~25% Republican, and ~41% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Potsdam compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Potsdam is the most Democratic-leaning.
Politically, Potsdam sits close to the rest of New York.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Potsdam. The west side runs the most Democratic (D+31) and the southeast side runs the most Republican (R+18), a spread of about 50 points.
Why Potsdam 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 Potsdam, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 34% of adults in Potsdam hold a bachelor's degree, about 6 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and Potsdam sits in the top fifth on density (about 41%, above 84% of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 57% of adults in Potsdam have never been married, in the top fraction of cities.
Never-married share, developed land, and voter turnout
Places that combine a never-married-heavy adult population and a heavily developed built environment tend to turn out at a lower rate, as Potsdam, NY does.
Why turnout in Potsdam looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 55% of households in Potsdam rent, about 30 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 96% of adults in Potsdam have completed high school, above 85% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- West Parishville, NY R+14
- Hannawa Falls, NY R+6
- West Stockholm, NY R+35
- West Potsdam, NY R+19
- Parishville Center, NY R+22
- Sandfordville, NY R+34
- Norwood, NY R+24
- Slab City, NY R+14
- High Flats, NY R+22
- Colton, NY R+21
Cities with Similar Populations
- Cherryville, NC R+49
- Yorktown Heights, NY R+5
- Ogdensburg, NY R+19
- Silver Firs, WA D+9
- Warrior, AL R+75
- Winfield, IL D+6
- Bennington, VT D+18
- Borger, TX R+53
- Winnetka, IL D+36
- Ridgefield Park, NJ D+7
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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.