University leans slightly Democratic by roughly 10 points: about 55% of voters vote Democratic and 45% Republican.
About 34% of adults in University typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in University, ~19% vote Democratic, ~15% Republican, and ~66% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How University compares
Among cities within 25 miles, University leans more Democratic than 37 of 39 neighbors.
University runs about 34 points more Democratic than Mississippi as a whole. Mississippi leans Republican overall, while University is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within University. The north side runs the most Democratic (D+17) and the southeast side runs the most Republican (R+28), a spread of about 44 points.
Why University 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, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 79% of adults in University hold a bachelor's degree, about 51 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and University sits in the top fifth on density (about 80%, above 94% of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 89% of adults in University have never been married, in the top fraction of cities.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; University, MS sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in University looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 87% of households in University rent, about 62 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and more than 99% of adults in University have completed high school, in the top fraction of cities. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and University sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Oxford, MS R+12
- Tula, MS R+4
- College Hill, MS R+14
- Lafayette Springs, MS R+46
- Taylor, MS R+25
- Yocona, MS R+60
- Abbeville, MS R+14
- Burgess, MS R+51
- Springdale, MS R+57
- Denmark, MS R+56
Cities with Similar Populations
- Driftwood, TX R+23
- St. Helena, CA D+37
- Lebanon, VA R+59
- Alva, OK R+51
- El Dorado Springs, MO R+64
- Tallapoosa, GA R+75
- Norwood, NC R+51
- Buena Vista, CO R+8
- Stewartsville, NJ R+15
- Carneys Point, NJ D+5
All Local Stats
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Mississippi 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.