South of Market is a Democratic stronghold. About 81% of voters here vote Democratic and 19% Republican.
About 50% of adults in South of Market typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in South of Market, ~40% vote Democratic, ~10% Republican, and ~50% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How South of Market compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, South of Market leans more Democratic than 14 of 36 neighbors.
South of Market runs about 41 points more Democratic than California as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within South of Market. The southwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+69) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+52), a spread of about 17 points.
Why South of Market 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 of Market, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 67% of adults in South of Market hold a bachelor's degree, about 39 points above the U.S. average of 28%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 52% of adults in South of Market have never been married, above 85% of neighborhoods.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; South of Market, San Francisco, 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 of Market looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 73% of households in South of Market rent, about 48 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Crowded housing lines up with lower turnout, and about 8% of homes in South of Market have more than one occupant per room, above 88% of neighborhoods. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and South of Market sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Union Square, San Francisco, CA D+59
- Downtown San Francisco, San Francisco, CA D+56
- Financial District, San Francisco, CA D+53
- Chinatown-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA D+38
- Potrero, San Francisco, CA D+79
- Nob Hill, San Francisco, CA D+62
- Mission, San Francisco, CA D+72
- Western Addition, San Francisco, CA D+73
- Russian Hill, San Francisco, CA D+68
- Duboce Triangle, San Francisco, CA D+83
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Chicago Lawn, Chicago, IL D+58
- Beverly Glen, Studio City, CA D+40
- Southeast, Anaheim, CA D+19
- Southside, Fort Worth, TX D+36
- Hoover, Fresno, CA D+12
- Downtown Jersey City, Jersey City, NJ D+58
- Greenville, Jersey City, NJ D+51
- Preston Hollow, Dallas, TX D+17
- West Columbus Interim, Hilliard, OH D+9
- Central East Denver, Denver, CO D+62
All Local Stats
Home Services
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.