South Berkeley, Berkeley, CA Political Map | Democrat & Republican Areas in South Berkeley

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

South Berkeley is a Democratic stronghold. About 90% of voters here vote Democratic and 10% Republican.

 

About 50% of adults in South Berkeley typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in South Berkeley, ~45% vote Democratic, ~5% Republican, and ~50% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.

How South Berkeley compares

Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, South Berkeley leans more Democratic than 24 of 47 neighbors.

South Berkeley runs about 59 points more Democratic than California as a whole.

Politics vary noticeably by block within South Berkeley. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+87) and the north side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+73), a spread of about 14 points.

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

Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in South Berkeley live in densely developed areas, about 64 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and South Berkeley sits in the top quarter (about 71%, above 91% of neighborhoods). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 67% of adults in South Berkeley have never been married, above 96% of neighborhoods.

Paved land cover and Democratic lean

Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; South Berkeley, Berkeley, 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 South Berkeley looks the way it does

Renters vote less often than owners. About 72% of households in South Berkeley rent, about 47 points above the U.S. average of 25%. 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 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.