West Side is a Democratic stronghold. About 77% of voters here vote Democratic and 23% Republican.
About 44% of adults in West Side typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in West Side, ~34% vote Democratic, ~10% Republican, and ~56% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How West Side compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, West Side leans more Democratic than 14 of 24 neighbors.
West Side runs about 48 points more Democratic than New Jersey as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within West Side. The west side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+79) and the east side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+35), a spread of about 44 points.
Why West Side 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 Side, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with many never-married adults vote Democratic. About 50% of adults in West Side have never been married, modestly above similar-sized neighborhoods (around 44%).
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; West Side, Newark, 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 West Side looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. West Side is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 66% of households in West Side rent, about 41 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 32% of adults in West Side report food insecurity, above 85% of neighborhoods. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- North Ironbound, Newark, NJ D+5
- Hackensack Riverfront, Jersey City, NJ D+46
- South Ironbound, Newark, NJ D+25
- Central Business District, Newark, NJ D+72
- Greenville, Jersey City, NJ D+51
- Mount Pleasant-Lower Broadway, Newark, NJ D+36
- South Broad Street, Newark, NJ D+63
- Springfield-Belmont, Newark, NJ D+77
- Seventh Avenue, Newark, NJ D+45
- University Heights, Newark, NJ D+67
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, NY D+69
- Rancho Bernadino, San Diego, CA D+16
- Far North, Columbus, OH D+26
- Northeast, Anaheim, CA D+16
- Bay Area, Corpus Christi, TX Even
- Watts, Los Angeles, CA D+49
- Unionport, Bronx, NY D+39
- Far West, Fort Worth, TX R+23
- New Brighton, Staten Island, NY D+36
- Capitol Hill, Seattle, WA D+79
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.