University Heights, Newark, NJ Political Map | Democrat & Republican Areas in University Heights

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

University Heights is a Democratic stronghold. About 84% of voters here vote Democratic and 16% Republican.

 

About 37% of adults in University Heights typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in University Heights, ~31% vote Democratic, ~6% Republican, and ~63% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.

How University Heights compares

Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, University Heights leans more Democratic than 11 of 20 neighbors.

University Heights runs about 62 points more Democratic than New Jersey as a whole.

Politics vary noticeably by block within University Heights. The south side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+76) and the southeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+53), a spread of about 23 points.

Why University Heights 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 Heights, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.

Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in University Heights live in densely developed areas, about 64 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 66% of adults in University Heights have never been married, above 96% of neighborhoods.

Paved land cover and Democratic lean

Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; University Heights, Newark, NJ 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 Heights looks the way it does

Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. University Heights is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 49%, about 18 points below the New Jersey average of 67%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 76% of households in University Heights rent, about 51 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 36% of adults in University Heights report food insecurity, above 89% of neighborhoods. 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 New Jersey Division 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.