Sam Hughes is a Democratic stronghold. About 80% of voters here vote Democratic and 20% Republican.
About 67% of adults in Sam Hughes typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Sam Hughes, ~54% vote Democratic, ~13% Republican, and ~33% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Sam Hughes compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Sam Hughes leans more Democratic than 22 of 23 neighbors.
Sam Hughes runs about 65 points more Democratic than Arizona as a whole. Arizona leans Republican overall, while Sam Hughes is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Sam Hughes. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+67) and the southwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+45), a spread of about 22 points.
Why Sam Hughes 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 Sam Hughes, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 77% of adults in Sam Hughes hold a bachelor's degree, about 48 points above the U.S. average of 28%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 49% of adults in Sam Hughes have never been married, above 79% of neighborhoods. Sam Hughes runs against the grain of Arizona, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Sam Hughes, Tucson, AZ sits above the national average 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 Sam Hughes looks the way it does
Areas with high high-school completion turn out at higher rates. About 98% of adults in Sam Hughes have completed high school, about 11 points above the Arizona average of 87%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Rincon Heights, Tucson, AZ D+57
- Miramonte, Tucson, AZ D+43
- North University, Tucson, AZ D+56
- Blenman-Elm, Tucson, AZ D+52
- Palo Verde, Tucson, AZ D+41
- West University, Tucson, AZ D+58
- Armory Park, Tucson, AZ D+59
- Julia Keen, Tucson, AZ D+33
- Midtown, Tucson, AZ D+33
- South Park, Tucson, AZ D+38
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Dillard, New Orleans, LA D+82
- Allendale-Lakeside, Shreveport, LA D+86
- Zenith, Des Moines, WA D+29
- Tijeras Arroyo, Albuquerque, NM D+17
- Italian Village, Columbus, OH D+53
- Clawson, Emeryville, CA D+66
- Garment District, Manhattan, NY D+63
- East Valley, San Bernardino, CA D+25
- Green Island, Worcester, MA D+33
- Houston Farms, Houston, TX Even
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Arizona 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.