Utica leans slightly Democratic by roughly 10 points: about 55% of voters vote Democratic and 45% Republican.
About 51% of adults in Utica typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Utica, ~28% vote Democratic, ~23% Republican, and ~49% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Utica compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Utica leans more Democratic than 124 of 126 neighbors.
Politically, Utica sits close to the rest of New York.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Utica. The west side runs the most Democratic (D+22) and the northeast side runs the most Republican (R+19), a spread of about 42 points.
Why Utica 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 Utica, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 92% of residents in Utica live in densely developed areas, about 56 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 44% of adults in Utica have never been married, above 96% of cities.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Utica, NY 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 Utica looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 47% of households in Utica rent, about 22 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 27% of adults in Utica report food insecurity, above 93% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Yorkville, NY R+4
- New York Mills, NY R+17
- New Hartford, NY R+4
- Whitesboro, NY R+19
- Marcy, NY R+26
- Chadwicks, NY R+17
- East Frankfort, NY R+40
- West Schuyler, NY R+33
- Sauquoit, NY R+34
- Oriskany, NY R+10
Cities with Similar Populations
- Leander, TX R+7
- Binghamton, NY D+14
- Ankeny, IA R+3
- Union City, CA D+33
- Lacey, WA D+23
- Tonawanda, NY D+9
- Traverse City, MI D+3
- Grand Junction, CO R+11
- Burleson, TX R+45
- Baldwin Park, CA D+28
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from New York 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.