The Lanes leans Democratic by roughly 30 points: about 65% of voters vote Democratic and 35% Republican.
About 75% of adults in The Lanes typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in The Lanes, ~49% vote Democratic, ~26% Republican, and ~25% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How The Lanes compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, The Lanes is the least Democratic-leaning.
The Lanes runs about 4 points more Democratic than Massachusetts as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within The Lanes. The south side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+36) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+16), a spread of about 21 points.
Why The Lanes leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in The Lanes. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; The Lanes, Waltham, MA sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in The Lanes looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. The Lanes 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 Neighborhoods
- Piety Corner, Waltham, MA D+37
- Lakeview, Waltham, MA D+41
- North Waltham, Waltham, MA D+33
- Waltham Highlands, Waltham, MA D+43
- Bank Square, Waltham, MA D+50
- Bleachery, Waltham, MA D+42
- Warrendale, Waltham, MA D+38
- South Side, Waltham, MA D+59
- Bemis, Watertown Town, MA D+50
- Waverley Square, Belmont, MA D+62
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Highlands, Manchester, NH D+11
- Spring Creek, San Antonio, TX D+2
- Center City, Midland, MI D+5
- Maple High-Six Corners, Springfield, MA D+44
- Thornwood, South Elgin, IL R+4
- Midtown, Oklahoma City, OK D+40
- Downtown Huntsville, Huntsville, AL D+8
- Lakeshore, Jacksonville, FL R+14
- Valley College, San Bernardino, CA D+17
- Cielo Vista South, El Paso, TX D+20
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, 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.