State College leans heavily Democratic by roughly 36 points: about 68% of voters vote Democratic and 32% Republican.
About 69% of adults in State College typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in State College, ~47% vote Democratic, ~22% Republican, and ~31% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How State College compares
Among cities within 25 miles, State College leans more Democratic than 107 of 108 neighbors.
State College runs about 37 points more Democratic than Pennsylvania as a whole. Pennsylvania is roughly evenly split, and State College sits clearly on the Democratic side.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within State College. The west side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+49) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+27), a spread of about 22 points.
Why State College 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 State College, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 85% of residents in State College live in densely developed areas, about 49 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and State College sits in the top quarter (about 60%, above 97% of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 62% of adults in State College have never been married, in the top fraction of cities.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; State College, PA 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 State College looks the way it does
Areas with high high-school completion turn out at higher rates. About 97% of adults in State College have completed high school, about 6 points above the Pennsylvania average of 91%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- University Park, PA D+26
- Park Forest Village, PA D+44
- Houserville, PA D+24
- Lemont, PA D+25
- Boalsburg, PA D+21
- Pine Grove Mills, PA Even
- Coburn, PA R+46
- Dale Summit, PA D+32
- Linden Hall, PA D+16
- Pleasant Gap, PA D+28
Cities with Similar Populations
- Jefferson City, MO R+23
- La Habra, CA D+5
- West Bloomfield, MI D+14
- Burnsville, MN D+23
- Hickory, NC R+22
- Wylie, TX R+12
- Blaine, MN D+6
- The Villages, FL R+29
- North Richland Hills, TX R+21
- Wilkes-Barre, PA D+4
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau 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.