Rolando leans heavily Democratic by roughly 42 points: about 71% of voters vote Democratic and 29% Republican.
About 60% of adults in Rolando typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Rolando, ~43% vote Democratic, ~17% Republican, and ~40% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Rolando compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Rolando leans more Democratic than 20 of 28 neighbors.
Rolando runs about 22 points more Democratic than California as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Rolando. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+48) and the southeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+23), a spread of about 25 points.
Why Rolando 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 Rolando, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in Rolando live in densely developed areas, about 64 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 48% of adults in Rolando have never been married, above 79% of neighborhoods.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Rolando, San Diego, CA 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 Rolando looks the way it does
Crowded housing lines up with lower turnout. About 6% of homes in Rolando have more than one occupant per room, above 82% of neighborhoods. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- College Area, San Diego, CA D+41
- Darnall, San Diego, CA D+31
- El Cerritos, San Diego, CA D+48
- Del Cerro, San Diego, CA D+27
- Talmadge, San Diego, CA D+48
- Oak Park, San Diego, CA D+30
- City Heights East, San Diego, CA D+31
- San Carlos, San Diego, CA D+25
- Kensington, San Diego, CA D+57
- Ridgeview-Webster, San Diego, CA D+37
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Pico-Lowell, Santa Ana, CA D+34
- Gladstone, Chicago, IL D+23
- Plymouth Colony, Atlanta, GA D+45
- Victoria Park, Fort Lauderdale, FL D+6
- Pembroke Falls, Pembroke Pines, FL D+11
- Mid City-Santa Ana, Santa Ana, CA D+33
- International District, Seattle, WA D+61
- Tatnuck, Worcester, MA D+32
- The Pueblo, Las Vegas, NV D+13
- Walker's Point, Milwaukee, WI D+49
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from California Secretary of State, 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.