University Park is a Democratic stronghold. About 80% of voters here vote Democratic and 20% Republican.
About 66% of adults in University Park typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in University Park, ~52% vote Democratic, ~13% Republican, and ~35% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How University Park compares
Among cities within 25 miles, University Park leans more Democratic than 142 of 215 neighbors.
University Park runs about 31 points more Democratic than Maryland as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within University Park. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+65) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+43), a spread of about 21 points.
Why University Park 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 Park, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 74% of adults in University Park hold a bachelor's degree, about 46 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and University Park sits in the top fifth on density (about 99%, in the top fraction of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 33% of adults in University Park have never been married, above 83% of cities.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; University Park, MD 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 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 68%, about 8 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Hyattsville, MD D+57
- Riverdale Park, MD D+56
- Edmonston, MD D+67
- Chillum, MD D+63
- College Park, MD D+60
- North Brentwood, MD D+70
- East Riverdale, MD D+56
- Brentwood, MD D+68
- Mount Rainier, MD D+74
- Cottage City, MD D+68
Cities with Similar Populations
- Hersey, MI R+45
- Bassfield, MS R+14
- Wofford Heights, CA R+43
- Coal Creek, CO D+21
- Florence, WI R+38
- Astor, FL R+60
- Gloster, MS D+10
- Le Grand, CA R+14
- Paisley, FL R+62
- Rockbridge, OH R+53
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Maryland State Board 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.