Salem County leans slightly Republican by roughly 12 points: about 44% of voters vote Democratic and 56% Republican.
About 70% of adults in Salem County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Salem County, ~31% vote Democratic, ~39% Republican, and ~30% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Salem County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Salem County leans more Republican than 13 of 15 neighbors.
Salem County runs about 18 points more Republican than New Jersey as a whole. New Jersey leans Democratic overall, while Salem County is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Salem County. The southwest side runs the most Democratic (D+14) and the southeast side runs the most Republican (R+31), a spread of about 45 points.
Why Salem County leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per county to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Salem County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Salem County votes against the grain of New Jersey. New Jersey leans Democratic overall, while Salem County runs about 18 points more Republican.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Salem County, NJ sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Salem County looks the way it does
Turnout in Salem County 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 Counties
- New Castle County, DE D+33
- Gloucester County, NJ R+2
- Delaware County, PA D+27
- Cumberland County, NJ D+7
- Camden County, NJ D+30
- Philadelphia County, PA D+56
- Cecil County, MD R+29
- Chester County, PA D+14
- Kent County, DE D+5
- Montgomery County, PA D+21
Counties with Similar Populations
- Effingham County, GA R+46
- Carbon County, PA R+35
- Coos County, OR R+10
- Columbia County, PA R+32
- Nacogdoches County, TX R+29
- Pulaski County, KY R+59
- Chaves County, NM R+37
- Lincoln County, SD R+29
- Hamblen County, TN R+51
- Rutherford County, NC R+46
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.