South End is a Democratic stronghold. About 85% of voters here vote Democratic and 15% Republican.
About 43% of adults in South End typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in South End, ~37% vote Democratic, ~6% Republican, and ~57% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How South End compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, South End leans more Democratic than 9 of 12 neighbors.
South End runs about 57 points more Democratic than New York as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within South End. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+75) and the east side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+25), a spread of about 51 points.
Why South End 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 End, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with many never-married adults vote Democratic. About 68% of adults in South End have never been married, well above similar-sized neighborhoods (around 40%).
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; South End, Albany, NY 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 End looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 77% of households in South End rent, about 52 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 36% of adults in South End report food insecurity, above 90% of neighborhoods. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 81% of adults in South End have completed high school, below 84% of neighborhoods. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Center Square, Albany, NY D+75
- Delaware Avenue, Albany, NY D+58
- Central Ave, Albany, NY D+66
- Sheridan Hollow, Albany, NY D+71
- Arbor Hill, Albany, NY D+77
- West Hill, Albany, NY D+66
- Pine Hills, Albany, NY D+62
- Helderberg, Albany, NY D+57
- New Scotland-Woodlawn, Albany, NY D+60
- West End, Albany, NY D+61
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Foothill Junction, Roseville, CA R+8
- Windsor Village, Santa Ana, CA D+19
- Homestead, Portland, OR D+69
- Westnedge Hill, Kalamazoo, MI D+50
- Downtown Trenton, Trenton, NJ D+76
- North Pointe, St. Louis, MO D+89
- Oakbrook, Vancouver, WA D+13
- Nelson, Muskegon, MI D+42
- Ericsson, Minneapolis, MN D+69
- Seneca, Buffalo, NY D+6
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from New York State Board 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.