University Heights leans heavily Democratic by roughly 34 points: about 67% of voters vote Democratic and 33% Republican.
About 72% of adults in University Heights typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in University Heights, ~48% vote Democratic, ~24% Republican, and ~28% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How University Heights compares
Among cities within 25 miles, University Heights leans more Democratic than 94 of 114 neighbors.
University Heights runs about 46 points more Democratic than Ohio as a whole. Ohio leans Republican overall, while University Heights is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within University Heights. The northwest side runs the most Democratic (D+77) and the east side runs the most Republican (R+16), a spread of about 93 points.
Why University Heights leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per city 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%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and University Heights sits in the top quarter (about 70%, in the top fraction of cities). University Heights runs against the grain of Ohio, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; University Heights, OH sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in University Heights looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. University Heights 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 69%, about 9 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 97% of adults in University Heights have completed high school, above 90% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Beachwood, OH D+45
- South Euclid, OH D+64
- Shaker Heights, OH D+72
- Cleveland Heights, OH D+70
- Lyndhurst, OH D+35
- Highland Hills, OH D+85
- East Cleveland, OH D+87
- Woodmere, OH D+46
- Pepper Pike, OH D+30
- Warrensville Heights, OH D+88
Cities with Similar Populations
- South Daytona, FL R+12
- Bradford, PA R+32
- Fair Oaks Ranch, TX R+37
- Lake Villa, IL Even
- Hazel Green, AL R+57
- Arbutus, MD D+11
- Brandywine, MD D+60
- Eight Mile, AL R+11
- Rice Lake, WI R+20
- Cedar Springs, MI R+29
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Ohio 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.