Washington leans slightly Republican by roughly 14 points: about 43% of voters vote Democratic and 57% Republican.
About 79% of adults in Washington typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Washington, ~34% vote Democratic, ~45% Republican, and ~21% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Washington compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Washington leans more Republican than 76 of 158 neighbors.
Washington runs about 20 points more Republican than New Jersey as a whole. New Jersey leans Democratic overall, while Washington is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Washington. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+27) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+5), a spread of about 23 points.
Why Washington 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 Washington, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Washington votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 61%, about 25 points above the U.S. average of 36%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here. Washington runs against the grain of New Jersey, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Washington, NJ 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 Washington looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Washington 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 68%, about 8 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Port Colden, NJ R+23
- Changewater, NJ R+25
- Oxford, NJ R+28
- Broadway, NJ R+35
- Glen Gardner, NJ R+15
- Port Murray, NJ R+22
- Belvidere, NJ R+27
- Asbury, NJ R+25
- New Village, NJ R+34
- Summerfield, NJ R+41
Cities with Similar Populations
- Marshfield, MO R+59
- Harrison, TN R+43
- Highland, NY D+8
- Shingle Springs, CA R+24
- Hasbrouck Heights, NJ R+7
- Banta, CA R+12
- Callaway, FL R+26
- Jefferson City, TN R+51
- Ortonville, MI R+29
- Farmville, VA D+14
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from New Jersey Division 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.