Salem is a true toss-up. About 52% of voters here vote Democratic and 48% Republican. These figures are model estimates: New Hampshire did not have precinct-level voting records available for training, so the numbers above come from demographic and health features rather than local ground truth.
About 82% of adults in Salem typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Salem, ~43% vote Democratic, ~39% Republican, and ~18% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Salem compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Salem leans more Democratic than 48 of 125 neighbors.
Politically, Salem sits close to the rest of New Hampshire.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Salem. The south side runs the most Democratic (D+15) and the northeast side runs the most Republican (R+2), a spread of about 17 points.
Why Salem leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Salem. None of them point strongly toward either party.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Salem, NH sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
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 71%, about 11 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 96% of adults in Salem have completed high school, above 83% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Methuen Town, MA D+6
- Windham, NH D+4
- Atkinson, NH Even
- Lawrence, MA D+17
- Pelham, NH R+5
- Haverhill, MA D+11
- Hampstead, NH Even
- Plaistow, NH D+3
- Derry, NH D+4
Cities with Similar Populations
- Derby, KS R+29
- Imperial, MO R+36
- Milford, MA D+8
- Ponca City, OK R+42
- Glenside, PA D+45
- Reedley, CA Even
- West Roxbury, MA D+40
- Terrell, TX R+25
- Parsippany, NJ D+4
- Ukiah, CA D+18
All Local Stats
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from New Hampshire Secretary of State, Elections Division, 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. NH did not have precinct-level voting records available for training, so the figures here come from extrapolation across demographic, health, and land-use features rather than local ground truth. Full methodology and findings: political spectrum map.
Methodology reviewed by the BestNeighborhood data team. Last updated May 2026.