Shaw is a Democratic stronghold. About 92% of voters here vote Democratic and 8% Republican.
About 66% of adults in Shaw typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Shaw, ~61% vote Democratic, ~5% Republican, and ~34% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Shaw compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Shaw leans more Democratic than 36 of 48 neighbors.
Politically, Shaw sits close to the rest of the District of Columbia.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Shaw. The northeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+89) and the west side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+76), a spread of about 13 points.
Why Shaw 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 Shaw, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in Shaw live in densely developed areas, about 64 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Shaw sits in the top quarter (about 69%, above 90% of neighborhoods). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 63% of adults in Shaw have never been married, above 95% of neighborhoods.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Shaw, Washington, DC sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Shaw looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Shaw 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 69%, about 9 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Mt Vernon Square, Washington, DC D+74
- Ledroit Park, Washington, DC D+88
- Downtown, Washington, DC D+71
- Logan Circle, Washington, DC D+77
- U Street Corridor, Washington, DC D+80
- Dupont Circle, Washington, DC D+78
- Columbia Heights, Washington, DC D+83
- Adams Morgan, Washington, DC D+83
- Stanton Park, Washington, DC D+84
- Capitol Hill, Washington, DC D+77
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- North Berkeley, Berkeley, CA D+82
- Rock Creek, Clackamas, OR D+10
- North Boulder, Boulder, CO D+72
- Bradford, Haverhill, MA D+9
- Valley View, Henderson, NV D+3
- The Fan, Richmond, VA D+65
- North Hyde Park, Tampa, FL D+12
- Washington Park, Denver, CO D+61
- Southern Highlands, Enterprise, NV R+5
- Bridle Trails, Bellevue, WA D+46
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from District of Columbia 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.