Riverside leans slightly Democratic by roughly 8 points: about 54% of voters vote Democratic and 46% Republican.
About 70% of adults in Riverside typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Riverside, ~38% vote Democratic, ~32% Republican, and ~30% 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 105 of 231 neighbors.
Politically, Riverside sits close to the rest of New Jersey.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Riverside. The southwest side runs the most Democratic (D+19) and the north side runs the most Republican (R+3), a spread of about 22 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 79% of residents in Riverside live in densely developed areas, about 43 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Riverside sits in the top quarter (about 39%, above 87% of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 33% of adults in Riverside have never been married, above 84% of cities.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Riverside, NJ sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Riverside looks the way it does
Turnout in Riverside sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Riverton, NJ D+10
- Beverly, NJ D+33
- Moorestown, NJ D+15
- Willingboro, NJ D+77
- Moorestown-Lenola, NJ D+27
- Palmyra, NJ D+24
- Croydon, PA R+6
- Maple Shade, NJ D+15
- Westampton, NJ D+40
Cities with Similar Populations
- Davison, MI R+14
- East Palo Alto, CA D+49
- McMinnville, TN R+60
- Lake Jackson, TX R+36
- Pewaukee, WI R+13
- Harvey, LA D+32
- Piedmont, SC R+33
- Twentynine Palms, CA R+24
- Martinez, GA R+27
- Hightstown, NJ D+25
All Local Stats
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from New Jersey Division 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.