Riverside is a Republican stronghold. About 17% of voters here vote Democratic and 83% Republican.
About 60% of adults in Riverside typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Riverside, ~10% vote Democratic, ~50% Republican, and ~40% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Riverside compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Riverside leans more Republican than 4 of 9 neighbors.
Riverside runs about 73 points more Republican than New Mexico as a whole. New Mexico leans Democratic overall, while Riverside is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Riverside. The south side is the most Republican-leaning (R+78) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+61), a spread of about 17 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.
Riverside votes against the grain of New Mexico. New Mexico leans Democratic overall, while Riverside runs about 73 points more Republican.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; Riverside, NM sits below the national average 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 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 29% of households in Riverside rent, above 83% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Artesia, NM R+56
- Atoka, NM R+68
- Lake Arthur, NM R+66
- Lakewood, NM R+72
- Hope, NM R+74
- Hagerman, NM R+56
- Seven Rivers, NM R+75
- Greenfield, NM R+54
- Dexter, NM R+48
Cities with Similar Populations
- Linden, MO R+65
- Spencer, SD R+53
- Parvin, PA R+63
- Spencerville, MD D+25
- Rowan, IA R+53
- Oaklawn, GA R+15
- Mineola, MO R+57
- Mincy, MO R+68
- Bug, KY R+70
- Boyce, KY R+53
All Local Stats
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from New Mexico Secretary 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.