Riverwest is a Democratic stronghold. About 85% of voters here vote Democratic and 15% Republican.
About 74% of adults in Riverwest typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Riverwest, ~63% vote Democratic, ~11% Republican, and ~26% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Riverwest compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Riverwest leans more Democratic than 18 of 39 neighbors.
Riverwest runs about 70 points more Democratic than Wisconsin as a whole. Wisconsin is roughly evenly split, and Riverwest sits clearly on the Democratic side.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Riverwest. The north side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+78) and the southeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+59), a spread of about 19 points.
Why Riverwest 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 Riverwest, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Riverwest votes against the grain of Wisconsin. Wisconsin is roughly evenly split, while Riverwest runs about 70 points more Democratic. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 62% of adults in Riverwest have never been married, above 94% of neighborhoods.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Riverwest, Milwaukee, WI sits in the top 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 Riverwest looks the way it does
Turnout in Riverwest 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 Neighborhoods
- Harambee, Milwaukee, WI D+82
- Murray Hill, Milwaukee, WI D+64
- Upper East Side, Milwaukee, WI D+58
- Downer Woods, Milwaukee, WI D+55
- Northpoint, Milwaukee, WI D+57
- Lower East Side, Milwaukee, WI D+61
- Borchert Field, Milwaukee, WI D+88
- North Division, Milwaukee, WI D+86
- Yankee Hill, Milwaukee, WI D+57
- Arlington Heights, Milwaukee, WI D+88
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Estates Of Highland Creek, Katy, TX D+18
- The Acre, Lowell, MA D+42
- Pawtucketville, Lowell, MA D+15
- Central, Cleveland, OH D+78
- Downtown Austin, Austin, TX D+42
- Palolo, Honolulu, HI D+25
- Seacliff, San Francisco, CA D+59
- Dorchester Center, Boston, MA D+71
- Rancho Rinconada, Cupertino, CA D+33
- Eastside Santa Ana, Santa Ana, CA D+33
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Wisconsin Elections Commission, 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.