Seaside leans heavily Democratic by roughly 36 points: about 68% of voters vote Democratic and 32% Republican.
About 53% of adults in Seaside typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Seaside, ~36% vote Democratic, ~17% Republican, and ~47% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Seaside compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Seaside leans more Democratic than 22 of 30 neighbors.
Seaside runs about 15 points more Democratic than California as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Seaside. The southeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+43) and the north side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+32), a spread of about 11 points.
Why Seaside 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 Seaside, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 91% of residents in Seaside live in densely developed areas, about 55 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Seaside sits in the top quarter (about 32%, above 78% of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 42% of adults in Seaside have never been married, above 95% of cities.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Seaside, CA sits in the top tenth nationally 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 Seaside looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Seaside is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 66% of households in Seaside rent, compared to around 44% in nearby cities. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 22% of adults in Seaside report food insecurity, above 86% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Sand City, CA D+33
- Del Rey Oaks, CA D+27
- Monterey, CA D+40
- Marina, CA D+32
- Pacific Grove, CA D+55
- Del Monte Forest, CA D+34
- Carmel, CA D+35
- Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA D+44
- East Garrison, CA R+2
- Carmel Highlands, CA D+47
Cities with Similar Populations
- Franklin Town, MA D+16
- Union City, GA D+79
- El Paso de Robles, CA R+2
- Rochester, NH R+9
- Paradise Hills, NM D+6
- Savage, MN D+10
- Pullman, WA D+44
- Erie, CO D+21
- Andover, MN R+14
- Barstow, CA R+13
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from California 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.