Riverside leans heavily Democratic by roughly 48 points: about 74% of voters vote Democratic and 26% Republican.
About 41% of adults in Riverside typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Riverside, ~30% vote Democratic, ~11% Republican, and ~59% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Riverside compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Riverside leans more Democratic than 8 of 35 neighbors.
Riverside runs about 63 points more Democratic than Texas as a whole. Texas leans Republican overall, while Riverside is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Riverside. The southwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+55) and the east side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+41), a spread of about 14 points.
Why Riverside 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 Riverside, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Riverside votes against the grain of Texas. Texas leans Republican overall, while Riverside runs about 63 points more Democratic. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 68% of adults in Riverside have never been married, above 97% of neighborhoods.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Riverside, Austin, TX sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in Riverside looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Riverside is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 92% of households in Riverside rent, compared to around 68% in nearby neighborhoods. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and Riverside sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Denby, Detroit, MI D+85
- Atlantic Beaches, Atlantic Beach, FL R+15
- Parkrose, Portland, OR D+35
- Southwest, Wichita, KS Even
- Family Acres, Lincoln, NE Even
- Southside, Toledo, OH D+34
- Mount Bowdoin, Boston, MA D+65
- Baldwin Park, Orlando, FL D+10
- Washington Park, Chicago, IL D+81
- Old North End, Burlington, VT D+72
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.