Riverside leans Democratic by roughly 30 points: about 65% of voters vote Democratic and 35% Republican.
About 71% of adults in Riverside typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Riverside, ~46% vote Democratic, ~25% Republican, and ~29% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Riverside compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Riverside leans more Democratic than 114 of 119 neighbors.
Politically, Riverside sits close to the rest of Maryland.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Riverside. The north side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+32) and the south side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+7), a spread of about 25 points.
Why Riverside 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 Riverside, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 75% of residents in Riverside live in densely developed areas, about 38 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Riverside sits in the top quarter (about 42%, above 89% of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 42% of adults in Riverside have never been married, above 95% of cities.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Riverside, MD sits in the top tenth 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 Riverside looks the way it does
Areas with high high-school completion turn out at higher rates. About 98% of adults in Riverside have completed high school, about 7 points above the Maryland average of 91%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Belcamp, MD D+21
- Abingdon, MD D+8
- Perryman, MD D+11
- Aberdeen, MD D+12
- Bel Air South, MD Even
- Edgewood, MD D+34
- Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD D+25
- Bel Air, MD R+8
- Churchville, MD R+22
- Joppa, MD R+23
Cities with Similar Populations
- Chaptico, MD R+41
- Tuckerman, AR R+54
- Conneaut Lake, PA R+42
- Jacobus, PA R+20
- Upton, KY R+65
- Pioneer, OH R+60
- Wright, WY R+76
- Motley, MN R+49
- Walcott, IA R+22
- Mayetta, KS R+43
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Maryland 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.