West Baltimore is a Democratic stronghold. About 91% of voters here vote Democratic and 9% Republican.
About 46% of adults in West Baltimore typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in West Baltimore, ~42% vote Democratic, ~4% Republican, and ~54% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How West Baltimore compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, West Baltimore leans more Democratic than 30 of 48 neighbors.
West Baltimore runs about 53 points more Democratic than Maryland as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within West Baltimore. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+86) and the south side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+71), a spread of about 15 points.
Why West Baltimore 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 West Baltimore, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with many never-married adults vote Democratic. About 63% of adults in West Baltimore have never been married, well above similar-sized neighborhoods (around 40%).
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; West Baltimore, Baltimore, MD 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 West Baltimore looks the way it does
Areas with high food insecurity turn out at lower rates. About 45% of adults in West Baltimore report food insecurity, about 29 points above the U.S. average of 16%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 72% of households in West Baltimore rent, about 47 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and West Baltimore sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Sandtown-Winchester, Baltimore, MD D+87
- Greater Rosemont, Baltimore, MD D+72
- Washington Village, Baltimore, MD D+75
- Reservoir Hill-Bolton Hill, Baltimore, MD D+82
- Downtown, Baltimore, MD D+75
- Mount Vernon, Baltimore, MD D+80
- Mid-Town Belvedere, Baltimore, MD D+80
- Mondawin-Walbrook, Baltimore, MD D+86
- Federal Hill-Montgomery, Baltimore, MD D+67
- Oldtown, Baltimore, MD D+77
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Kalihi Valley, Honolulu, HI D+11
- North Gateway, Phoenix, AZ R+14
- North Central Omaha, Omaha, NE D+24
- South Natomas, Sacramento, CA D+37
- Central Arlington, Arlington, TX D+25
- Mililani Mauka-Launani Valley, Mililani, HI D+16
- Diamond Head-Kapahulu-St Louis, Honolulu, HI D+36
- San Luis Rey, Oceanside, CA D+11
- Manoa, Honolulu, HI D+44
- Noe Valley, San Francisco, CA D+82
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Maryland 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.