Wilmington leans heavily Democratic by roughly 40 points: about 70% of voters vote Democratic and 30% Republican.
About 71% of adults in Wilmington typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Wilmington, ~50% vote Democratic, ~21% Republican, and ~29% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Wilmington compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Wilmington leans more Democratic than 165 of 187 neighbors.
Wilmington runs about 25 points more Democratic than Delaware as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Wilmington. The east side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+84) and the southwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+16), a spread of about 68 points.
Why Wilmington 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 Wilmington, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 90% of residents in Wilmington live in densely developed areas, about 53 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Wilmington sits in the top quarter (about 40%, above 88% of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 39% of adults in Wilmington have never been married, above 92% of cities.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Wilmington, DE sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Wilmington looks the way it does
Turnout in Wilmington sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Elsmere, DE D+28
- Rockland, DE D+22
- Edgemoor, DE D+51
- Newport, DE D+22
- Bellefonte, DE D+26
- Wilmington Manor, DE D+31
- Arden, DE D+31
- Ardentown, DE D+31
- Penns Grove, NJ D+32
Cities with Similar Populations
- Grand Prairie, TX D+22
- Huntsville, AL D+12
- Cypress, TX R+14
- Sunrise Manor, NV D+20
- McKinney, TX R+6
- Montgomery, AL D+44
- Frisco, TX R+5
- Sioux Falls, SD R+5
- Shreveport, LA D+29
- Elk Grove, CA D+19
All Local Stats
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Delaware Department 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.