University District is a Democratic stronghold. About 83% of voters here vote Democratic and 17% Republican.
About 44% of adults in University District typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in University District, ~37% vote Democratic, ~7% Republican, and ~56% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How University District compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, University District leans more Democratic than 12 of 47 neighbors.
University District runs about 49 points more Democratic than Washington as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within University District. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+77) and the southeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+60), a spread of about 17 points.
Why University District 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 District, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 66% of adults in University District hold a bachelor's degree, about 38 points above the U.S. average of 28%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 87% of adults in University District have never been married, in the top fraction of neighborhoods.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; University District, Seattle, WA sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in University District looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 92% of households in University District rent, about 67 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and University District sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Wallingford, Seattle, WA D+83
- Ravenna, Seattle, WA D+81
- Roosevelt, Seattle, WA D+77
- Bryant, Seattle, WA D+78
- Laurelhurst, Seattle, WA D+70
- Montlake, Seattle, WA D+83
- Green Lake, Seattle, WA D+76
- Eastlake, Seattle, WA D+76
- Fremont, Seattle, WA D+79
- Wedgwood, Seattle, WA D+76
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Oakland Gardens, Queens, NY Even
- Bustleton, Philadelphia, PA R+3
- Central Southwest, Houston, TX D+51
- Glendale, Queens, NY R+8
- Beacon Hill, Seattle, WA D+60
- Sugar House, Salt Lake City, UT D+53
- Columbia Heights, Washington, DC D+83
- Brighton Park, Chicago, IL D+32
- East Side, Long Beach, CA D+52
- City Heights East, San Diego, CA D+31
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Washington 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.