South Bend, IN Political Map | Democrat & Republican Areas in South Bend

By the BestNeighborhood data science team. Last updated May 2026.

South Bend leans Democratic by roughly 22 points: about 61% of voters vote Democratic and 39% Republican.

 

About 58% of adults in South Bend typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in South Bend, ~35% vote Democratic, ~23% Republican, and ~42% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.

How South Bend compares

Among cities within 25 miles, South Bend leans more Democratic than 73 of 75 neighbors.

South Bend runs about 41 points more Democratic than Indiana as a whole. Indiana leans Republican overall, while South Bend is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.

Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within South Bend. The west side runs the most Democratic (D+36) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (Even), a spread of about 37 points.

Why South Bend 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 South Bend, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.

Dense areas vote Democratic. About 85% of residents in South Bend live in densely developed areas, about 49 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 40% of adults in South Bend have never been married, above 93% of cities. South Bend runs against the grain of Indiana, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.

Walkability and Democratic lean

Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; South Bend, IN 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 South Bend looks the way it does

Renters vote less often than owners. About 33% of households in South Bend rent, about 8 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 21% of adults in South Bend report food insecurity, above 83% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.

Sources and methodology

Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Indiana 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.