VCU is a Democratic stronghold. About 85% of voters here vote Democratic and 15% Republican.
About 47% of adults in VCU typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in VCU, ~40% vote Democratic, ~7% Republican, and ~53% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How VCU compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, VCU leans more Democratic than 11 of 18 neighbors.
VCU runs about 65 points more Democratic than Virginia as a whole.
Why VCU 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 VCU, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in VCU live in densely developed areas, about 64 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and VCU sits in the top quarter (about 57%, above 77% of neighborhoods). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 94% of adults in VCU have never been married, in the top fraction of neighborhoods.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; VCU, Richmond, VA sits in the bottom 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 VCU looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 69% of households in VCU rent, about 44 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 36% of adults in VCU report food insecurity, above 90% of neighborhoods. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and VCU sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Monroe Ward, Richmond, VA D+56
- Carver-Richmond, Richmond, VA D+70
- The Fan, Richmond, VA D+65
- Old Town Manchester, Richmond, VA D+64
- The Museum District, Richmond, VA D+65
- Shockoe Bottom, Richmond, VA D+65
- Church Hill, Richmond, VA D+74
- Swansboro, Richmond, VA D+78
- Reedy Creek, Richmond, VA D+70
- Creighton, Richmond, VA D+84
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- North Oak Park, Sacramento, CA D+70
- Preston Park, Roanoke, VA Even
- Eliot, Portland, OR D+79
- Surrey Lane, Bergenfield, NJ R+22
- College Hill, Easton, PA D+57
- Traditions, Aurora, CO D+14
- Kearny Mesa, San Diego, CA D+25
- Fort Phantom Area, Abilene, TX D+3
- Craig Ranch North, McKinney, TX R+4
- Armatage, Minneapolis, MN D+65
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Virginia Department 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.