South Lake Tahoe, CA Political Map | Democrat & Republican Areas in South Lake Tahoe

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

South Lake Tahoe leans Democratic by roughly 18 points: about 59% of voters vote Democratic and 41% Republican.

 

About 68% of adults in South Lake Tahoe typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in South Lake Tahoe, ~40% vote Democratic, ~28% Republican, and ~32% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.

How South Lake Tahoe compares

Among cities within 25 miles, South Lake Tahoe leans more Democratic than 26 of 30 neighbors.

Politically, South Lake Tahoe sits close to the rest of California.

Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within South Lake Tahoe. The north side runs the most Democratic (D+36) and the northwest side runs the most Republican (R+5), a spread of about 41 points.

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

Dense areas vote Democratic. About 59% of residents in South Lake Tahoe live in densely developed areas, about 23 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and South Lake Tahoe sits in the top quarter (about 39%, above 87% of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 37% of adults in South Lake Tahoe have never been married, above 91% of cities.

Walkability and Democratic lean

Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; South Lake Tahoe, CA 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 Lake Tahoe looks the way it does

Turnout in South Lake Tahoe sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. 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.