Shirley leans slightly Democratic by roughly 12 points: about 56% of voters vote Democratic and 44% Republican.
About 69% of adults in Shirley typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Shirley, ~39% vote Democratic, ~30% Republican, and ~31% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Shirley compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Shirley leans more Democratic than 68 of 128 neighbors.
Shirley runs about 13 points more Republican than Massachusetts as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Shirley. The southeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+17) and the north side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+3), a spread of about 14 points.
Why Shirley 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 Shirley, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 30% of residents in Shirley live in densely developed areas, about 6 points below the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Shirley sits in the top quarter (about 37%, above 85% of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 40% of adults in Shirley have never been married, above 93% of cities.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Shirley, MA sits in the top quarter 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 Shirley looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Shirley 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 72%, about 12 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Devens, MA D+7
- Shirley Center, MA D+9
- Harvard Station, MA D+29
- Ayer, MA D+20
- Still River, MA D+34
- Lunenburg, MA D+4
- Ponakin Mill, MA D+16
- Harvard, MA D+28
- Leominster, MA D+9
- Townsend Harbor, MA D+7
Cities with Similar Populations
- White Oak, PA R+7
- Reeds Spring, MO R+52
- Homeland, CA R+18
- Derby, CO D+13
- International Falls, MN R+21
- Caddo Mills, TX R+66
- North Sioux City, SD R+38
- Dillon, MT R+38
- West Boylston, MA D+13
- Amherst, VA R+34
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, 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.