Ulster County leans Democratic by roughly 16 points: about 58% of voters vote Democratic and 42% Republican.
About 74% of adults in Ulster County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Ulster County, ~43% vote Democratic, ~31% Republican, and ~26% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Ulster County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Ulster County is the most Democratic-leaning.
Politically, Ulster County sits close to the rest of New York.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Ulster County. The north side runs the most Democratic (D+37) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (R+8), a spread of about 45 points.
Why Ulster County leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per county to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Ulster County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 39% of adults in Ulster County hold a bachelor's degree, about 11 points above the U.S. average of 28%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 35% of adults in Ulster County have never been married, above 84% of counties.
Park access and Democratic lean
Places with heavy park coverage tend to lean Democratic; Ulster County, NY 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 Ulster County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Ulster County 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 64%, above 74% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Dutchess County, NY D+8
- Orange County, NY R+7
- Greene County, NY R+13
- Sullivan County, NY R+11
- Putnam County, NY R+13
- Columbia County, NY D+12
- Rockland County, NY R+14
- Delaware County, NY R+17
- Westchester County, NY D+27
- Schoharie County, NY R+29
Counties with Similar Populations
- Kent County, DE D+5
- Peoria County, IL D+14
- Shasta County, CA R+30
- Medina County, OH R+25
- Kanawha County, WV R+19
- Washington County, UT R+51
- Vanderburgh County, IN R+9
- Boone County, MO D+14
- Johnson County, TX R+50
- Imperial County, CA Even
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from New York State Board 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.