University City is a Democratic stronghold. About 82% of voters here vote Democratic and 18% Republican.
About 60% of adults in University City typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in University City, ~49% vote Democratic, ~11% Republican, and ~40% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How University City compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, University City leans more Democratic than 14 of 42 neighbors.
University City runs about 66 points more Democratic than Pennsylvania as a whole. Pennsylvania is roughly evenly split, and University City sits clearly on the Democratic side.
Politics vary noticeably by block within University City. The southeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+76) and the west side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+63), a spread of about 14 points.
Why University City leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per neighborhood to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for University City, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 69% of adults in University City hold a bachelor's degree, about 41 points above the U.S. average of 28%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 83% of adults in University City have never been married, in the top fraction of neighborhoods. University City runs against the grain of Pennsylvania, a Democratic-leaning outlier in a roughly evenly split state.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; University City, Philadelphia, 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 University City looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 95% of households in University City rent, about 70 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and University City sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, PA D+67
- City Center West, Philadelphia, PA D+70
- Schuylkill Southwest, Philadelphia, PA D+79
- Belmont, Philadelphia, PA D+85
- Spring Garden, Philadelphia, PA D+71
- Fairmount, Philadelphia, PA D+75
- Grays Ferry, Philadelphia, PA D+62
- Cobbs Creek, Philadelphia, PA D+83
- Point Breeze-Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA D+73
- Chinatown, Philadelphia, PA D+61
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- The Flatts, Morgantown, WV D+32
- Sableridge, Aurora, CO D+40
- Braun's Farm, San Antonio, TX D+8
- Historic Old Northeast, St. Petersburg, FL D+23
- Como, Fort Worth, TX D+65
- Homestead Heights, Rochester, NY D+61
- Palm Springs North, Hialeah, FL R+47
- Adair Park, Atlanta, GA D+83
- Northwest Everett, Everett, WA D+39
- South Worcester, Worcester, MA D+26
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.