University Park leans Democratic by roughly 16 points: about 58% of voters vote Democratic and 42% Republican.
About 64% of adults in University Park typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in University Park, ~37% vote Democratic, ~27% Republican, and ~36% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How University Park compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, University Park leans more Democratic than 12 of 20 neighbors.
University Park runs about 4 points more Republican than California as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within University Park. The southeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+19) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+9), a spread of about 10 points.
Why University Park 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 Park, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in University Park live in densely developed areas, about 64 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and University Park sits in the top quarter (about 66%, above 87% of neighborhoods).
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; University Park, Irvine, CA sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in University Park looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. University Park 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 71%, about 11 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Rancho San Joaquin, Irvine, CA D+33
- Woodbridge, Irvine, CA D+9
- Turtle Rock, Irvine, CA D+11
- University Town Center, Irvine, CA D+33
- West Park, Irvine, CA D+14
- UC Irvine, Irvine, CA D+70
- Oak Creek, Irvine, CA D+12
- Irvine Business Complex, Irvine, CA D+11
- Business District, Irvine, CA D+16
- Quail Hill, Irvine, CA D+15
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Park Avenue, Rochester, NY D+62
- North Omaha, Omaha, NE D+41
- The Vistas, Las Vegas, NV Even
- Jordan Heights, Allentown, PA D+36
- Bayless Atkins, Lubbock, TX R+9
- West Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ D+32
- Mount Hope, San Diego, CA D+35
- Ukrainian Village, Parma, OH Even
- Walnut Hills, Cincinnati, OH D+74
- Marquette, Madison, WI D+86
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.