Salem leans heavily Republican by roughly 44 points: about 28% of voters vote Democratic and 72% Republican.
About 70% of adults in Salem typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Salem, ~20% vote Democratic, ~50% Republican, and ~30% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Salem compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Salem leans more Republican than 61 of 92 neighbors.
Salem runs about 72 points more Republican than Maryland as a whole. Maryland leans Democratic overall, while Salem is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Salem. The west side is the most Republican-leaning (R+48) and the northeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+36), a spread of about 12 points.
Why Salem 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 Salem, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Salem votes against the grain of Maryland. Maryland leans Democratic overall, while Salem runs about 72 points more Republican.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; Salem, MD 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 Salem looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Salem is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Vienna, MD R+36
- Linkwood, MD R+40
- Rabbit Town, MD R+30
- Reids Grove, MD R+31
- Thompsontown, MD R+50
- East New Market, MD R+48
- Gluckheim, MD R+43
- Bucktown, MD R+53
- Secretary, MD R+50
- Petersburg, MD R+19
Cities with Similar Populations
- Scarce Grease, AL R+80
- Flomot, TX R+86
- Selbyville, WV R+69
- Seven Rivers, NM R+75
- Glendale, IL R+58
- Peacock, TX R+72
- San Jose, AZ R+47
- Sandy Hook, MO R+64
- Oglesville, MO R+71
- Oak Point, NY R+39
All Local Stats
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Maryland State Board 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.