27849 is a Democratic stronghold. About 80% of voters here vote Democratic and 20% Republican.
About 71% of adults in 27849 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 27849, ~57% vote Democratic, ~14% Republican, and ~29% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 27849 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 27849 is the most Democratic-leaning.
27849 runs about 64 points more Democratic than North Carolina as a whole. North Carolina leans Republican overall, while 27849 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 27849. The south side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+71) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+48), a spread of about 23 points.
Why 27849 leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per zip code to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for 27849, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural, majority-Black areas of the Southern Black Belt vote Democratic, against the usual rural pattern. About 82% of residents in 27849 are Black or African American, about 64 points above the North Carolina average of 18%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 35% of adults in 27849 have never been married, above 79% of zip codes. 27849 runs against the grain of North Carolina, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; 27849, NC sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in 27849 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 27849 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 44%, about 16 points below the North Carolina average of 61%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Zip Codes
Zip Codes with Similar Populations
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from North Carolina 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.