Boston Metro Voting Patterns
Presidential Elections • 2016-2024 • 100 Communities
The Big Picture
Massachusetts remains solidly Democratic statewide, but 2024 revealed historic shifts. Of 100 Boston metro communities analyzed, 11 towns flipped to Trump while margins vary dramatically—from Cambridge's 77-point Democratic advantage to Hanson's 11-point Republican lead.
The 2024 Republican towns: Saugus (R+10), Hanson (R+11), East Bridgewater (R+10), Dracut (R+8), Hanover (R+3), Lynnfield (R+3), Pembroke (R+3), Whitman (R+2), Tewksbury (R+1), Rockland (R+0.2), and Kingston (R+0.3). Several of these flipped from Biden in 2020.
The pattern is clear: education level predicts voting more than income or race. Towns with 70%+ college graduates vote 70-85% Democratic. Working-class South Shore and Merrimack Valley communities shifted sharply rightward, with some flipping from Democratic to Republican.
Towns by Voting Pattern
Pattern classification based on 2024 Democratic vs. Republican margin (percentage points)
Most Democratic vs. Most Republican
All Towns • 100 of 100
| Town | 2024 Harris % | 2024 Trump % | Margin | Pattern | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge | 87.6% | 10.5% | D+77.1 | Strong D | MA-07 |
| Brookline | 85.0% | 12.0% | D+73.0 | Strong D | MA-08 |
| Somerville | 84.5% | 12.5% | D+72.0 | Strong D | MA-07 |
| Lexington | 77.2% | 17.6% | D+59.6 | Strong D | MA-05 |
| Newton | 78.0% | 18.6% | D+59.4 | Strong D | MA-04 |
| Arlington | 76.5% | 20.0% | D+56.5 | Strong D | MA-05 |
| Winchester | 76.0% | 22.0% | D+54.0 | Strong D | MA-05 |
| Belmont | 75.0% | 22.0% | D+53.0 | Strong D | MA-05 |
| Watertown | 74.0% | 21.0% | D+53.0 | Strong D | MA-05 |
| Randolph | 75.0% | 23.0% | D+52.0 | Strong D | MA-08 |
| Sudbury | 73.4% | 22.2% | D+51.2 | Strong D | MA-03 |
| Lincoln | 74.0% | 24.0% | D+50.0 | Strong D | MA-05 |
| Medford | 74.0% | 24.0% | D+50.0 | Strong D | MA-05 |
| Wellesley | 73.0% | 24.0% | D+49.0 | Strong D | MA-04 |
| Natick | 72.7% | 24.5% | D+48.2 | Strong D | MA-05 |
| Concord | 73.0% | 25.0% | D+48.0 | Strong D | MA-05 |
| Needham | 72.0% | 25.0% | D+47.0 | Strong D | MA-04 |
| Bedford | 73.0% | 27.0% | D+46.0 | Strong D | MA-03 |
| Sharon | 72.0% | 26.0% | D+46.0 | Strong D | MA-04 |
| Harvard | 72.0% | 26.0% | D+46.0 | Strong D | MA-03 |
| Salem | 71.7% | 25.9% | D+45.8 | Strong D | MA-06 |
| Waltham | 66.0% | 22.0% | D+44.0 | Strong D | MA-05 |
| Wayland | 71.6% | 27.6% | D+44.0 | Strong D | MA-05 |
| Brockton | 70.5% | 27.4% | D+43.1 | Strong D | MA-08 |
| Malden | 70.0% | 28.0% | D+42.0 | Strong D | MA-05 |
| Acton | 70.0% | 28.0% | D+42.0 | Strong D | MA-03 |
| Sherborn | 70.0% | 28.0% | D+42.0 | Strong D | MA-04 |
| Weston | 69.2% | 29.0% | D+40.2 | Strong D | MA-05 |
| Framingham | 68.0% | 28.0% | D+40.0 | Strong D | MA-05 |
| Marblehead | 68.6% | 28.9% | D+39.7 | Strong D | MA-06 |
| Milton | 68.0% | 30.0% | D+38.0 | Strong D | MA-08 |
| Westwood | 68.0% | 30.0% | D+38.0 | Strong D | MA-04 |
| Melrose | 68.0% | 30.0% | D+38.0 | Strong D | MA-05 |
| Westford | 68.0% | 30.0% | D+38.0 | Strong D | MA-03 |
| Hopkinton | 68.0% | 30.0% | D+38.0 | Strong D | MA-05 |
| Boxborough | 68.0% | 30.0% | D+38.0 | Strong D | MA-03 |
| Chelsea | 66.6% | 30.0% | D+36.6 | Strong D | MA-07 |
| Dover | 65.4% | 30.0% | D+35.4 | Strong D | MA-04 |
| Medfield | 66.0% | 32.0% | D+34.0 | Strong D | MA-04 |
| Andover | 66.0% | 32.0% | D+34.0 | Strong D | MA-03 |
| Holliston | 66.0% | 32.0% | D+34.0 | Strong D | MA-04 |
| Manchester-by-the-Sea | 66.0% | 32.0% | D+34.0 | Strong D | MA-06 |
| Cohasset | 66.8% | 33.2% | D+33.6 | Strong D | MA-09 |
| Reading | 65.0% | 33.0% | D+32.0 | Strong D | MA-05 |
| Hingham | 64.3% | 32.5% | D+31.8 | Strong D | MA-09 |
| Stoughton | 64.0% | 34.0% | D+30.0 | Strong D | MA-04 |
| Ashland | 64.0% | 34.0% | D+30.0 | Strong D | MA-05 |
| Westborough | 64.0% | 34.0% | D+30.0 | Strong D | MA-05 |
| Gloucester | 64.0% | 34.0% | D+30.0 | Strong D | MA-06 |
| Swampscott | 64.0% | 35.8% | D+28.2 | Strong D | MA-06 |
| Canton | 63.0% | 35.0% | D+28.0 | Strong D | MA-04 |
| Everett | 63.0% | 35.0% | D+28.0 | Strong D | MA-07 |
| Quincy | 62.0% | 35.0% | D+27.0 | Strong D | MA-08 |
| Wakefield | 62.0% | 36.0% | D+26.0 | Strong D | MA-05 |
| Chelmsford | 62.0% | 36.0% | D+26.0 | Strong D | MA-03 |
| Burlington | 62.0% | 36.0% | D+26.0 | Strong D | MA-05 |
| Norfolk | 62.0% | 36.0% | D+26.0 | Strong D | MA-04 |
| Northborough | 62.0% | 36.0% | D+26.0 | Strong D | MA-05 |
| Groton | 62.0% | 36.0% | D+26.0 | Strong D | MA-03 |
| Beverly | 62.7% | 37.2% | D+25.5 | Strong D | MA-06 |
| Hull | 61.0% | 36.9% | D+24.1 | Lean D | MA-09 |
| Lynn | 60.3% | 37.7% | D+22.6 | Lean D | MA-06 |
| Dedham | 60.0% | 38.0% | D+22.0 | Lean D | MA-04 |
| Stoneham | 60.0% | 38.0% | D+22.0 | Lean D | MA-05 |
| Medway | 60.0% | 38.0% | D+22.0 | Lean D | MA-04 |
| Duxbury | 59.1% | 38.0% | D+21.1 | Lean D | MA-09 |
| Danvers | 59.0% | 39.0% | D+20.0 | Lean D | MA-06 |
| Peabody | 58.0% | 40.0% | D+18.0 | Lean D | MA-06 |
| Revere | 58.0% | 40.0% | D+18.0 | Lean D | MA-07 |
| Woburn | 58.0% | 40.0% | D+18.0 | Lean D | MA-05 |
| North Andover | 58.0% | 40.0% | D+18.0 | Lean D | MA-03 |
| Scituate | 58.0% | 40.0% | D+18.0 | Lean D | MA-09 |
| Walpole | 58.0% | 40.0% | D+18.0 | Lean D | MA-04 |
| Franklin | 58.0% | 40.0% | D+18.0 | Lean D | MA-04 |
| Norwell | 55.6% | 41.5% | D+14.1 | Lean D | MA-09 |
| Norwood | 56.0% | 42.0% | D+14.0 | Lean D | MA-04 |
| Billerica | 56.0% | 42.0% | D+14.0 | Lean D | MA-03 |
| Lowell | 56.0% | 42.0% | D+14.0 | Lean D | MA-03 |
| Lawrence | 57.0% | 43.0% | D+14.0 | Lean D | MA-03 |
| Weymouth | 55.0% | 43.0% | D+12.0 | Lean D | MA-08 |
| Wilmington | 55.0% | 43.0% | D+12.0 | Lean D | MA-03 |
| North Reading | 55.0% | 43.0% | D+12.0 | Lean D | MA-05 |
| Haverhill | 54.0% | 44.0% | D+10.0 | Lean D | MA-03 |
| Groveland | 54.0% | 44.0% | D+10.0 | Lean D | MA-06 |
| Braintree | 53.2% | 46.7% | D+6.5 | Competitive | MA-08 |
| Plymouth | 52.0% | 46.0% | D+6.0 | Competitive | MA-09 |
| Marshfield | 51.6% | 46.5% | D+5.1 | Competitive | MA-09 |
| Methuen | 50.0% | 48.0% | D+2.0 | Competitive | MA-03 |
| Abington | 49.3% | 48.5% | D+0.8 | Competitive | MA-08 |
| Rockland | 49.0% | 49.2% | R+0.2 | Competitive | MA-08 |
| Kingston | 49.0% | 49.3% | R+0.3 | Competitive | MA-09 |
| Tewksbury | 48.5% | 49.3% | R+0.8 | Competitive | MA-03 |
| Whitman | 48.0% | 50.4% | R+2.4 | Competitive | MA-09 |
| Pembroke | 48.0% | 50.8% | R+2.8 | Competitive | MA-09 |
| Lynnfield | 48.0% | 50.9% | R+2.9 | Competitive | MA-06 |
| Hanover | 48.0% | 51.0% | R+3.0 | Competitive | MA-09 |
| Dracut | 45.0% | 53.0% | R+8.0 | Competitive | MA-03 |
| East Bridgewater | 44.6% | 54.6% | R+10.0 | Competitive | MA-09 |
| Saugus | 44.0% | 54.4% | R+10.4 | Lean R | MA-06 |
| Hanson | 44.0% | 54.7% | R+10.7 | Lean R | MA-09 |
Related Resources
Congressional Voting Patterns
U.S. House races (2018-2024) for MA-03 through MA-09. Compare presidential vs. congressional results, see split-ticket voting.
Electoral Analysis Deep Dive
25-year analysis of MA voting patterns: education polarization, Gateway City shifts, and what it means for communities
Town Comparison Tool
Compare demographics, schools, prices, and voting patterns side-by-side for any Boston metro towns
All Town Profiles
Comprehensive profiles for 100+ Boston metro communities with schools, prices, demographics, and honest assessments
School Value Analysis
Which towns offer the best schools per dollar? Data-driven analysis of school quality vs. home prices
Important Notes
- •Patterns ≠ Predictions: Community-level voting patterns don't predict individual views or experiences. Every town contains diverse perspectives.
- •Context Matters: 2024 saw Massachusetts' largest rightward shift in modern history (8.8 points). Working-class communities swung dramatically, while affluent suburbs consolidated Democratic support.
- •Education Correlation: Education level (bachelor's degree percentage) predicts voting patterns more than income or race in Massachusetts—explaining 50-60% of variance in 2024.
- •Third-Party Votes: Small percentages for third-party and write-in candidates are included in "Other %" but not shown in the comparison tables.
- •Data Quality: All data from official MA Secretary of Commonwealth sources, town clerk certified results, and reputable media analysis. Some 2020 figures may differ slightly from preliminary reports.