Ralston is a Republican stronghold. About 19% of voters here vote Democratic and 81% Republican.
About 70% of adults in Ralston typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Ralston, ~13% vote Democratic, ~57% Republican, and ~30% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Ralston compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Ralston leans more Republican than 50 of 75 neighbors.
Ralston runs about 61 points more Republican than Pennsylvania as a whole.
Why Ralston 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 Ralston, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with low college attainment vote Republican. About 10% of adults in Ralston hold a bachelor's degree, about 16 points below the Pennsylvania average of 26%. Rural areas vote Republican, and Ralston sits in the bottom quarter on density (about 2%, below 95% of cities).
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; Ralston, PA sits in the bottom 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 Ralston looks the way it does
Turnout in Ralston sits close to the national pattern. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Marsh Hill, PA R+61
- Masten, PA R+63
- Roaring Branch, PA R+65
- Leolyn, PA R+65
- Calvert, PA R+61
- Ogdensburg, PA R+66
- Wallis Run, PA R+61
- Trout Run, PA R+63
- Sebring, PA R+65
- Liberty, PA R+65
Cities with Similar Populations
- Mowbray, TN R+66
- East Rindge, NH R+14
- East Rodman, NY R+42
- Vining, IA R+45
- Dovray, MN R+55
- Keo, AR R+48
- Jefferson Estates, OH R+56
- Walker, KS R+69
- Ivy Log, GA R+58
- Bowles, AL R+24
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau 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.