West Friendship leans Democratic by roughly 18 points: about 59% of voters vote Democratic and 41% Republican.
About 84% of adults in West Friendship typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in West Friendship, ~50% vote Democratic, ~34% Republican, and ~16% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How West Friendship compares
Among cities within 25 miles, West Friendship leans more Democratic than 43 of 166 neighbors.
West Friendship runs about 11 points more Republican than Maryland as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within West Friendship. The east side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+25) and the west side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+5), a spread of about 20 points.
Why West Friendship 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 West Friendship, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 71% of adults in West Friendship hold a bachelor's degree, about 43 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and West Friendship sits in the top fifth on density (about 29%, above 80% of cities).
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; West Friendship, MD sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in West Friendship looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. West Friendship 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 76%, about 16 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 92% of households in West Friendship own their home, about 17 points above the U.S. average of 75%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 97% of adults in West Friendship have completed high school, above 93% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Glenelg, MD D+15
- Dayton, MD D+20
- Glenwood, MD D+10
- Cooksville, MD Even
- Clarksville, MD D+34
- Marriottsville, MD D+5
- Woodstock, MD D+40
- Ellicott City, MD D+33
- Highland, MD D+21
- Brinklow, MD D+17
Cities with Similar Populations
- White Sulphur Springs, WV R+40
- Willard, UT R+63
- Ray, MI R+50
- Fayette, MS D+79
- Cabot, PA R+43
- St. Henry, OH R+75
- Richwood, OH R+55
- Wellston, OK R+64
- Burney, CA R+41
- Churchville, MD R+22
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.