Summerland leans heavily Democratic by roughly 38 points: about 69% of voters vote Democratic and 31% Republican.
About 83% of adults in Summerland typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Summerland, ~57% vote Democratic, ~26% Republican, and ~17% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Summerland compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Summerland leans more Democratic than 10 of 14 neighbors.
Summerland runs about 18 points more Democratic than California as a whole.
Why Summerland 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 Summerland, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 67% of adults in Summerland hold a bachelor's degree, about 38 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and Summerland sits in the top fifth on density (about 78%, above 94% of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 34% of adults in Summerland have never been married, above 86% of cities.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Summerland, CA sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Summerland looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Summerland is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 73%, about 13 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Toro Canyon, CA D+31
- Montecito, CA D+40
- Carpinteria, CA D+37
- Santa Barbara, CA D+49
- Isla Vista, CA D+80
- Goleta, CA D+53
- Meiners Oaks, CA D+3
- Oak View, CA D+13
- Ellwood, CA D+37
- Mira Monte, CA D+22
Cities with Similar Populations
- Alton, IA R+54
- Francisco, IN R+57
- Ipswich, SD R+57
- Odebolt, IA R+52
- Hanover, IL R+29
- East Rochester, OH R+57
- Levering, MI R+27
- New Park, PA R+54
- Mound City, MO R+55
- Sigel, IL R+70
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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.