Sussex leans Republican by roughly 24 points: about 38% of voters vote Democratic and 62% Republican.
About 73% of adults in Sussex typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Sussex, ~28% vote Democratic, ~45% Republican, and ~27% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Sussex compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Sussex leans more Republican than 93 of 136 neighbors.
Sussex runs about 31 points more Republican than New Jersey as a whole. New Jersey leans Democratic overall, while Sussex is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Sussex. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+34) and the north side is the least Republican-leaning (R+19), a spread of about 15 points.
Why Sussex 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 Sussex, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 85% of residents in Sussex drive to work alone, about 11 points above the U.S. average of 74%. Sussex runs against the grain of New Jersey, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Sussex, NJ sits in the top quarter 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 Sussex looks the way it does
Turnout in Sussex 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.
Nearby Cities
- Wantage, NJ R+39
- Vernon, NJ R+26
- Glenwood, NJ R+27
- Hamburg, NJ R+18
- Colesville, NJ R+40
- Mount Salem, NJ R+42
- Highland Lake, NJ R+17
- Pine Island, NY R+16
- Pellettown, NJ R+37
- Franklin, NJ R+23
Cities with Similar Populations
- Madison, WV R+50
- Steelville, MO R+61
- New Paris, IN R+60
- La Salle, CO R+47
- Meeker, CO R+39
- Courtney, TX R+27
- Milford, IA R+36
- Rose Hill, NC R+6
- Rutledge, GA R+68
- Harrison City, PA R+25
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from New Jersey Division 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.