University City, San Diego, CA Political Map | Democrat & Republican Areas in University City

By the BestNeighborhood data science team. Last updated May 2026.

University City leans heavily Democratic by roughly 44 points: about 72% of voters vote Democratic and 28% Republican.

 

About 57% of adults in University City typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in University City, ~41% vote Democratic, ~16% Republican, and ~43% 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 7 of 9 neighbors.

University City runs about 24 points more Democratic than California as a whole.

Politics vary noticeably by block within University City. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+58) and the southwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+28), a spread of about 31 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 75% of adults in University City hold a bachelor's degree, about 46 points above the U.S. average of 28%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 51% of adults in University City have never been married, above 83% of neighborhoods.

Paved land cover and Democratic lean

Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; University City, San Diego, CA sits above the national average 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 65% of households in University City rent, about 40 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.

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.