Sonora leans Republican by roughly 18 points: about 41% of voters vote Democratic and 59% Republican.
About 82% of adults in Sonora typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Sonora, ~34% vote Democratic, ~48% Republican, and ~18% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Sonora compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Sonora leans more Republican than 13 of 37 neighbors.
Sonora runs about 37 points more Republican than California as a whole. California leans Democratic overall, while Sonora is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Sonora. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+35) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+12), a spread of about 23 points.
Why Sonora 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 Sonora, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Sonora votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 38%, well below the California average of 58%). Here an older population outweighs the Democratic lean that density usually predicts. Sonora runs against the grain of California, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Sonora, CA sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Sonora looks the way it does
Turnout in Sonora 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
- Phoenix Lake, CA R+27
- Columbia, CA R+18
- Soulsbyville, CA R+30
- Standard, CA R+26
- Jamestown, CA R+23
- Tuolumne, CA R+30
- Quartz, CA R+32
- Tuttletown, CA R+25
- Twain Harte, CA R+11
- Vallecito, CA R+15
Cities with Similar Populations
- Kapaa, HI D+20
- Shorewood, IL R+6
- Hannibal, MO R+37
- Rio Rico, AZ D+11
- Anna, TX R+27
- Palmer, AK R+28
- Liberty Hill, TX R+35
- Blairsville, GA R+58
- Waynesville, NC R+25
- Blythe, CA D+6
All Local Stats
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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.