West Side leans slightly Democratic by roughly 8 points: about 54% of voters vote Democratic and 46% Republican.
About 60% of adults in West Side typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in West Side, ~32% vote Democratic, ~28% Republican, and ~40% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How West Side compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, West Side is the least Democratic-leaning.
West Side runs about 10 points more Democratic than Pennsylvania as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within West Side. The southeast side runs the most Democratic (D+16) and the northwest side runs the most Republican (Even), a spread of about 17 points.
Why West Side leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in West Side. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; West Side, Scranton, PA sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in West Side looks the way it does
Areas with low high-school completion turn out at lower rates. About 83% of adults in West Side have completed high school, about 7 points below the U.S. average of 90%. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and West Side sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Downtown, Scranton, PA D+28
- Providence, Scranton, PA D+10
- South Side, Scranton, PA D+16
- The Hill Section, Scranton, PA D+23
- Green Ridge, Scranton, PA D+17
- Petersburg, Scranton, PA D+20
- The Plot, Scranton, PA D+13
- Parsons, Wilkes-Barre, PA R+9
- North End, Wilkes-Barre, PA D+16
- Mayflower, Wilkes-Barre, PA D+12
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Cartwright, Phoenix, AZ D+36
- Southsuide Estates, Jacksonville, FL R+18
- Avalon Park, Chicago, IL D+86
- Ellerbee Woods, Shreveport, LA R+50
- Downtown Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA D+65
- Broadway-Fillmore, Buffalo, NY D+47
- Red Hook, Brooklyn, NY D+62
- Sun City, Georgetown, TX R+20
- Sunset Heights, Orem, UT R+26
- Central Terry, Billings, MT D+3
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau 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.