West Somerville is a Democratic stronghold. About 82% of voters here vote Democratic and 18% Republican.
About 57% of adults in West Somerville typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in West Somerville, ~46% vote Democratic, ~10% Republican, and ~44% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How West Somerville compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, West Somerville leans more Democratic than 17 of 43 neighbors.
West Somerville runs about 38 points more Democratic than Massachusetts as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within West Somerville. The south side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+69) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+58), a spread of about 12 points.
Why West Somerville 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 Somerville, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 57% of adults in West Somerville hold a bachelor's degree, about 29 points above the U.S. average of 28%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 53% of adults in West Somerville have never been married, above 87% of neighborhoods.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; West Somerville, Somerville, MA sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in West Somerville looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 70% of households in West Somerville rent, about 45 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Tufts, Somerville, MA D+71
- North Cambridge, Cambridge, MA D+71
- Ball Square, Somerville, MA D+70
- Arlington Center, Arlington, MA D+71
- Avon Hill, Cambridge, MA D+79
- Neighborhood Nine, Cambridge, MA D+78
- Spring Hill, Somerville, MA D+75
- West Cambridge, Cambridge, MA D+78
- Winter Hill, Somerville, MA D+65
- Aggasiz-Harvard, Cambridge, MA D+78
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- University District, Missoula, MT D+59
- Academy Acres North, Albuquerque, NM D+16
- Fillmore, New Orleans, LA D+59
- Downtown Southfield, Southfield, MI D+87
- Estrella-Goodyear, Goodyear, AZ R+27
- South Manchaca, Austin, TX D+52
- Salisbury Street, Worcester, MA D+35
- Oakdale South, Charlotte, NC D+60
- Sonterra-Stone Oak, San Antonio, TX R+2
- Stonegate, Bakersfield, CA R+8
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, 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.