Wheaton leans heavily Democratic by roughly 48 points: about 74% of voters vote Democratic and 26% Republican.
About 58% of adults in Wheaton typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Wheaton, ~43% vote Democratic, ~15% Republican, and ~42% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Wheaton compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Wheaton leans more Democratic than 112 of 207 neighbors.
Wheaton runs about 20 points more Democratic than Maryland as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Wheaton. The south side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+68) and the west side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+34), a spread of about 34 points.
Why Wheaton 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 Wheaton, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 94% of residents in Wheaton live in densely developed areas, about 58 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Wheaton sits in the top quarter (about 38%, above 86% of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 42% of adults in Wheaton have never been married, above 95% of cities.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Wheaton, MD sits in the top tenth 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 Wheaton looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Wheaton 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 32% of households in Wheaton rent, above 86% of cities. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 20% of adults in Wheaton report food insecurity, above 81% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Kensington, MD D+63
- Glenmont, MD D+51
- Garrett Park, MD D+68
- Kemp Mill, MD D+49
- South Kensington, MD D+63
- Chevy Chase View, MD D+54
- Aspen Hill, MD D+48
- North Bethesda, MD D+58
- Silver Spring, MD D+66
- Four Corners, MD D+63
Cities with Similar Populations
- Ballwin, MO D+6
- Irondequoit, NY D+23
- La Mirada, CA D+10
- Crystal Lake, IL D+3
- Southaven, MS R+7
- Sun City, AZ R+16
- Panorama City, CA D+23
- Jamaica Plain, MA D+71
- Morristown, TN R+47
- Sicklerville, NJ D+34
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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.