Upper Laurel is a Democratic stronghold. About 89% of voters here vote Democratic and 11% Republican.
About 63% of adults in Upper Laurel typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Upper Laurel, ~56% vote Democratic, ~7% Republican, and ~37% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Upper Laurel compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Upper Laurel leans more Democratic than 47 of 62 neighbors.
Upper Laurel runs about 57 points more Democratic than California as a whole.
Why Upper Laurel 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 Upper Laurel, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in Upper Laurel live in densely developed areas, about 64 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Upper Laurel sits in the top quarter (about 57%, above 77% of neighborhoods).
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Upper Laurel, Oakland, CA sits in the top quarter 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 Upper Laurel looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Upper Laurel 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 72%, about 12 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Laurel, Oakland, CA D+70
- Redwood Heights, Oakland, CA D+74
- Allendale, Oakland, CA D+63
- Upper Dimond, Oakland, CA D+78
- Dimond, Oakland, CA D+67
- Seminary, Oakland, CA D+77
- Millsmont, Oakland, CA D+84
- Melrose, Oakland, CA D+59
- Fruitvale Station, Oakland, CA D+52
- Glenview, Oakland, CA D+79
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Gray Haven, Dundalk, MD R+18
- Ellaville, Hyattsville, MD D+73
- Willert Park, Buffalo, NY D+83
- Marston, Littleton, CO D+22
- Starmount, Charlotte, NC D+32
- South Louisville, Louisville, KY D+40
- Winston Park, Palatine, IL D+18
- Country Club Heights, Charlotte, NC D+52
- Singing Arrow, Albuquerque, NM D+20
- Columbus Park, Milwaukee, WI D+74
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.