South Shore is a Democratic stronghold. About 80% of voters here vote Democratic and 20% Republican.
About 56% of adults in South Shore typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in South Shore, ~45% vote Democratic, ~11% Republican, and ~44% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How South Shore compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, South Shore leans more Democratic than 16 of 56 neighbors.
South Shore runs about 39 points more Democratic than California as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within South Shore. The northeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+66) and the southwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+55), a spread of about 12 points.
Why South Shore 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 Shore, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 56% of adults in South Shore hold a bachelor's degree, about 27 points above the U.S. average of 28%.
Park access and Democratic lean
Places with heavy park coverage tend to lean Democratic; South Shore, Alameda, CA sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Park access does not change how people vote; it tends to track denser, higher-income areas.
Why turnout in South Shore looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 62% of households in South Shore rent, about 37 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Gold Coast, Alameda, CA D+64
- East End, Alameda, CA D+65
- Fernside, Alameda, CA D+67
- West End, Alameda, CA D+67
- Jingletown, Oakland, CA D+55
- Bay Farm Island, Alameda, CA D+51
- Woodstock, Alameda, CA D+52
- Rancho San Antonio, Oakland, CA D+50
- Fruitvale Station, Oakland, CA D+52
- Reservoir Hills, Oakland, CA D+53
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Social, Woonsocket, RI D+19
- South Southeast 3, Topeka, KS D+7
- Cabbage Town, Atlanta, GA D+69
- Walnut Valley, Little Rock, AR D+44
- middletown, Bethlehem, PA Even
- Downtown Fort Worth, Fort Worth, TX D+20
- Rmma, Austin, TX D+61
- Oak Park, Salem, OR D+19
- South Beach, Fort Pierce, FL R+24
- Townsend-Raitt, Santa Ana, CA D+34
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.