What if you could learn which presidential candidates your neighbors supported (without getting into any heated arguments)? Well, you can find out who they're donating to.
The data scientists at Renthop, a data-based apartment hunting firm, have tracked how residents of each zip code in the New York metro area donated so far this election cycle. The organization compiled individual contribution information from the most recent Feb. 20 Federal Election Commission’s disclosure reports. Renthrop only included zip codes with at least 25 donors to avoid having a few donors represent an entire neighborhood.
Overall, New York appears to be in Hillary Clinton's hands, especially in wealthy Manhattan neighborhoods, with the majority of donations going to the former New York senator and secretary of state. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is more popular with younger, less wealthy neighborhoods in the outer boroughs, upper Manhattan and the Lower East Side. The more outlying and suburban parts of New York (look at Staten Island, northern Bronx, south Brooklyn) as well as ultra-wealthy Manhattan neighborhoods, such as Battery Park City, were more likely to donate to Republicans, usually Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. Across the board, regardless of candidate, contributions came most often from wealthy Manhattan neighborhoods, so the data is likely skewed towards New Yorkers affluent enough to donate to political campaigns.
The numbers reveal a fascinating picture of New York that potentially foreshadows April's primary results. Jump to the interactive below.
Hillary Clinton
Hillary's New York, indeed. Clinton has raised about $21.8 million from 12,488 different donors in New York. She was popular with moneyed enclaves of Manhattan, such as Chelsea (with a whopping 532 donors), Battery Park and the Upper West Side. About 60 percent of the Upper East Side’s contributions went to her. Clinton, as was evident in past primaries, is favored by voters of color, which shows here with 71 percent of donors in the mainly black and Hispanic Harlem going to her.
Bernie Sanders
Sanders is also popular among New Yorkers, but doesn’t have the same financial power as Clinton. Since the FEC does not require people donating less than $200 to provide information, including their zip code, Sanders' donor data is more likely to be underrepresented, given that his campaign has been funded largely through small donations, unlike Clinton’s, according to Renthop's data scientist.
Sanders appears popular in outer-borough neighborhoods with younger, more diverse populations, such as Ridgewood and Sunnyside in Queens, and Kensington and Bed-Stuy in Brooklyn. Inwood, a majority Dominican neighborhood, was the only Manhattan neighborhood in the top five. He shared financial support from similar areas as Clinton — the Upper West Side, Chelsea, etc. — but at lower, single-digit percentages.
Marco Rubio
Rubio, still clinging on as the moderates’ hope for a Republican nominee, shows his likability in a liberal bastion like New York from his donations. Here, he’s raised the most funds of any Republican candidate — $2.34 million in New York state from 1,654 donors. He was most popular in suburban neighborhoods in Westchester County such as Briarcliff Manor and Harrison as well as wealthy outer borough neighborhoods like Riverdale in The Bronx. However, Manhattan has its own Rubio supporters. The Theater District in Midtown ranked fourth with 17.5 percent of his donors, and the affluent Battery Park neighborhood also showed substantial Rubio support with about 20 percent of all contributions going to the Florida senator.
Ted Cruz
This Texas senator who famously disparaged “New York values” — which quickly prompted a storm of criticism — perhaps unsurprisingly hasn’t found much of a foothold in New York. He has raised $942,644 — less than half what Rubio has collected in New York — from 1,674 unique donors. His strongest support appears to lie in outer-borough neighborhoods: Sheepshead Bay, Pelham Bay and Mt. Vernon, just north of The Bronx.
Donald Trump
Despite plastering his name all over New York, Donald Trump has a small presence compared to those of his rivals in terms of donations. He’s raised $208,891 from 404 New York state donors. His contributions are low likely because he self-funds much of his campaign with his corporate wealth.
So where are the Trump supporters in the city? According to contribution data, you may want to look on Staten Island or in neighborhoods outside the city limits. Great Kills and New Dorp, both on Staten Island, were the top two, and Flatbush in Brooklyn managed to land at No. 3. But even then, the donor numbers are so small — the highest is four donors from Great Kills — that any change in donors could drastically affect the rankings, making the conclusions less meaningful.
