Washington Heights leans heavily Democratic by roughly 50 points: about 75% of voters vote Democratic and 25% Republican.
About 45% of adults in Washington Heights typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Washington Heights, ~34% vote Democratic, ~11% Republican, and ~55% 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 26 of 37 neighbors.
Washington Heights runs about 37 points more Democratic than New York as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Washington Heights. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+73) and the southeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+19), a spread of about 53 points.
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.
Areas with many never-married adults vote Democratic. About 49% of adults in Washington Heights have never been married, modestly above similar-sized neighborhoods (around 43%).
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Washington Heights, Manhattan, NY sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Washington Heights looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 89% of households in Washington Heights rent, about 64 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Limited routine healthcare access lines up with lower turnout, and Washington Heights sits in the bottom quarter on routine-care measures. Crowded housing lines up with lower turnout, and about 9% of homes in Washington Heights have more than one occupant per room, above 89% of neighborhoods. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Highbridge, Bronx, NY D+41
- Morris Heights, Bronx, NY D+43
- Inwood, Manhattan, NY D+47
- Coytesville, Fort Lee, NJ D+17
- Hamilton Heights, Manhattan, NY D+63
- University Heights, Bronx, NY D+31
- South Bronx, Bronx, NY D+50
- Tremont, Bronx, NY D+43
- Linwood, Fort Lee, NJ D+22
- Fordham, Bronx, NY D+36
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Southeast Dallas, Dallas, TX D+37
- Jackson Heights-ny, Queens, NY D+18
- Astoria, Queens, NY D+41
- Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY D+16
- Harlem, Manhattan, NY D+78
- Roosevelt, Fresno, CA D+18
- East Side, El Paso, TX D+18
- Powers, Colorado Springs, CO R+4
- Camelback East, Phoenix, AZ D+24
- Spring Branch, Houston, TX D+8
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.