West End is a Democratic stronghold. About 80% of voters here vote Democratic and 20% Republican.
About 38% of adults in West End typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in West End, ~31% vote Democratic, ~8% Republican, and ~61% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How West End compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, West End leans more Democratic than 5 of 12 neighbors.
West End runs about 48 points more Democratic than New York as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within West End. The east side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+67) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+44), a spread of about 23 points.
Why West End 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 End, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Density combined with diversity predicts Democratic voting. Non-Hispanic white share in West End is about 28%, about 44 points below the U.S. average of 72%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 65% of adults in West End have never been married, above 96% of neighborhoods.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; West End, Albany, NY sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in West End looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 78% of households in West End rent, about 53 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 31% of adults in West End report food insecurity, above 85% of neighborhoods. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Pine Hills, Albany, NY D+62
- West Hill, Albany, NY D+66
- Central Ave, Albany, NY D+66
- Sheridan Hollow, Albany, NY D+71
- New Scotland-Woodlawn, Albany, NY D+60
- Center Square, Albany, NY D+75
- Helderberg, Albany, NY D+57
- Arbor Hill, Albany, NY D+77
- Buckingham Lake-Crestwood, Albany, NY D+47
- Delaware Avenue, Albany, NY D+58
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Skinker-Debaliviere, St. Louis, MO D+79
- Clayton, Denver, CO D+68
- Cox, Oakland, CA D+61
- Malletts Bay, Colchester, VT D+8
- Stoneybrook, Alafaya, FL Even
- Palo Park, Boulder, CO D+64
- Springetts Manor-Yorklyn, York, PA D+6
- Houghton, Kirkland, WA D+47
- Woodlands-Pleasantview, Duluth, MN D+30
- Westies, Wausau, WI D+11
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.