Washington Heights is a Democratic stronghold. About 93% of voters here vote Democratic and 7% Republican.
About 68% of adults in Washington Heights typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Washington Heights, ~63% vote Democratic, ~5% Republican, and ~32% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Washington Heights compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Washington Heights leans more Democratic than 32 of 33 neighbors.
Washington Heights runs about 74 points more Democratic than Illinois as a whole.
Why Washington Heights 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 Washington Heights, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in Washington Heights live in densely developed areas, about 64 points above the U.S. average of 36%.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Washington Heights, Chicago, IL sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in Washington Heights looks the way it does
Turnout in Washington Heights sits close to the national pattern. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Brainerd, Chicago, IL D+84
- Beverly, Chicago, IL D+50
- Roseland, Chicago, IL D+84
- Chester Highlands, Chicago, IL D+83
- Auburn Gresham, Chicago, IL D+84
- South Englewood, Chicago, IL D+83
- Morgan Park, Chicago, IL D+62
- Chatham, Chicago, IL D+85
- Pullman, Chicago, IL D+82
- Auburn Park, Chicago, IL D+82
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Northampton, Hampton, VA D+35
- Olympia Heights, Miami, FL R+40
- Midland Beach, Staten Island, NY R+33
- Campello, Brockton, MA D+41
- Springlake-University Terrace, Shreveport, LA R+12
- Dorchester Heights, Boston, MA D+51
- Southwest Raleigh, Raleigh, NC D+47
- Mid City North, Baton Rouge, LA D+84
- Battle Creek, St. Paul, MN D+39
- Loma Portal, San Diego, CA D+38
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Illinois 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.