South Bethany leans slightly Democratic by roughly 12 points: about 56% of voters vote Democratic and 44% Republican.
About 98% of adults in South Bethany typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in South Bethany, ~55% vote Democratic, ~43% Republican, and ~2% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How South Bethany compares
Among cities within 25 miles, South Bethany leans more Democratic than 47 of 49 neighbors.
Politically, South Bethany sits close to the rest of Delaware.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within South Bethany. The north side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+18) and the southwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+7), a spread of about 11 points.
Why South Bethany 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 Bethany, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 44% of residents in South Bethany live in densely developed areas, about 8 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and South Bethany sits in the top quarter (about 78%, in the top fraction of cities).
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; South Bethany, DE sits in the top tenth 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 Bethany looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. South Bethany 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 80%, about 20 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and more than 99% of households in South Bethany own their home, about 25 points above the U.S. average of 75%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and more than 99% of adults in South Bethany have completed high school, in the top fraction of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Bethany Beach, DE D+7
- Ocean View, DE R+7
- Millville, DE R+7
- Fenwick Island, DE D+3
- Selbyville, DE R+19
- Frankford, DE R+17
- Dagsboro, DE R+22
- Ocean City, MD R+10
- Long Neck, DE R+20
- Bishopville, MD R+39
Cities with Similar Populations
- Fowlkes, TN R+71
- Westfield, ME R+40
- West Laramie, WY R+37
- Tookland, VA R+66
- Berclair, TX R+49
- Bruce, IL R+57
- Wea, KS R+49
- Stoughstown, PA R+51
- Nipgen, OH R+62
- Docena, AL D+53
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Delaware Department 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.