South End is a Democratic stronghold. About 82% of voters here vote Democratic and 18% Republican.
About 54% of adults in South End typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in South End, ~44% vote Democratic, ~10% Republican, and ~46% 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 19 of 48 neighbors.
South End runs about 39 points more Democratic than Massachusetts as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within South End. The west side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+74) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+56), a spread of about 18 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.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in South End live in densely developed areas, about 64 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and South End sits in the top quarter (about 67%, above 88% of neighborhoods). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 51% of adults in South End have never been married, above 84% of neighborhoods.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; South End, Boston, MA 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 End looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 65% of households in South End rent, about 40 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Back Bay, Boston, MA D+62
- Nubian Square, Boston, MA D+65
- Central, Boston, MA D+53
- Fenway-Kenmore, Boston, MA D+67
- Downtown Crossing, Boston, MA D+61
- South Boston, Boston, MA D+48
- MIT, Cambridge, MA D+70
- Roxbury, Boston, MA D+65
- Dorchester Heights, Boston, MA D+51
- Dock Square, Boston, MA D+53
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Pennsport-Whitman-Queen, Philadelphia, PA D+42
- Mariners Harbor, Staten Island, NY D+24
- Eagle Ford, Dallas, TX D+47
- Crenshaw, Los Angeles, CA D+74
- South Gate, Glen Burnie, MD D+32
- Nevada-Lidgerwood, Spokane, WA D+2
- Pacific Beach, San Diego, CA D+35
- Riverdale, Bronx, NY D+36
- Stapleton, Denver, CO D+56
- West Bloomington, Bloomington, MN D+33
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, 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.