Salem leans slightly Democratic by roughly 14 points: about 57% of voters vote Democratic and 43% Republican.
About 65% of adults in Salem typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Salem, ~37% vote Democratic, ~28% Republican, and ~35% 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 77 of 79 neighbors.
Politically, Salem sits close to the rest of Oregon.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Salem. The north side runs the most Democratic (D+21) and the southeast side runs the most Republican (R+5), a spread of about 27 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.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 81% of residents in Salem live in densely developed areas, about 45 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Salem sits in the top quarter (about 32%, above 77% of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 34% of adults in Salem have never been married, above 86% of cities.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Salem, OR sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Salem looks the way it does
Turnout in Salem 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 Cities
- Four Corners, OR D+5
- Hayesville, OR D+9
- Keizer, OR D+2
- Eola, OR R+19
- Labish Village, OR R+41
- Shaw, OR R+34
- Wheatland, OR R+39
- Crowley, OR R+29
- Pratum, OR R+41
- Turner, OR R+31
Cities with Similar Populations
- Fort Lauderdale, FL D+23
- Huntington Beach, CA R+4
- Cape Coral, FL R+29
- Kissimmee, FL D+3
- Savannah, GA D+38
- Yonkers, NY D+25
- Peoria, AZ R+16
- Clarksville, TN R+11
- Fort Collins, CO D+32
- Elk Grove, CA D+19
All Local Stats
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Oregon 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. Full methodology and findings: political spectrum map.
Methodology reviewed by the BestNeighborhood data team. Last updated May 2026.