Rio Hondo leans slightly Republican by roughly 14 points: about 43% of voters vote Democratic and 57% Republican.
About 54% of adults in Rio Hondo typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Rio Hondo, ~23% vote Democratic, ~31% Republican, and ~46% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Rio Hondo compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Rio Hondo leans more Republican than 28 of 42 neighbors.
Politically, Rio Hondo sits close to the rest of Texas.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Rio Hondo. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+38) and the southwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+6), a spread of about 32 points.
Why Rio Hondo 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 Rio Hondo, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rio Hondo votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 20%, modestly below the Texas average of 35%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; Rio Hondo, TX 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 Rio Hondo looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Rio Hondo is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The uninsured rate here is about 33%, about 14 points above the Texas average of 19%. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 70% of adults in Rio Hondo have completed high school, below 98% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Arroyo Gardens, TX R+16
- Lozano, TX R+14
- Stuart Place, TX R+14
- San Benito, TX R+3
- Harlingen, TX R+3
- Laureles, TX R+11
- Combes, TX R+9
- Indian Lake, TX R+16
- Primera, TX R+9
- Palm Valley, TX R+23
Cities with Similar Populations
- Bertram, TX R+62
- Verona, VA R+42
- Auburn, KY R+48
- Kemah, TX R+26
- Kittrell, NC R+17
- Smith Mills, MA R+5
- Glendora, NJ R+4
- Guilderland, NY D+29
- West Union, SC R+61
- Cache, OK R+49
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Texas 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.