West Hill is a Democratic stronghold. About 83% of voters here vote Democratic and 17% Republican.
About 41% of adults in West Hill typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in West Hill, ~34% vote Democratic, ~7% Republican, and ~59% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How West Hill compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, West Hill leans more Democratic than 8 of 12 neighbors.
West Hill runs about 54 points more Democratic than New York as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within West Hill. The southeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+75) and the southwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+55), a spread of about 20 points.
Why West Hill 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 Hill, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with many never-married adults vote Democratic. About 52% of adults in West Hill have never been married, modestly above similar-sized neighborhoods (around 40%).
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; West Hill, Albany, NY sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in West Hill looks the way it does
Areas with high food insecurity turn out at lower rates. About 34% of adults in West Hill report food insecurity, about 17 points above the U.S. average of 16%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 63% of households in West Hill rent, about 38 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and West Hill sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Sheridan Hollow, Albany, NY D+71
- Central Ave, Albany, NY D+66
- West End, Albany, NY D+61
- Arbor Hill, Albany, NY D+77
- Pine Hills, Albany, NY D+62
- Center Square, Albany, NY D+75
- New Scotland-Woodlawn, Albany, NY D+60
- Helderberg, Albany, NY D+57
- South End, Albany, NY D+69
- Delaware Avenue, Albany, NY D+58
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Buffalo Charles, Detroit, MI D+14
- East Liberty, Pittsburgh, PA D+82
- Westbury, Houston, TX D+43
- Lower Garden District, New Orleans, LA D+47
- Moss Bay, Kirkland, WA D+45
- Bemis, Watertown Town, MA D+50
- Glendale, Los Angeles, CA D+47
- Potomac Yard-Potomac Greens, Alexandria, VA D+58
- Larchmont-Edgewater, Norfolk, VA D+31
- Rocky Ridge, Aurora, CO D+32
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.