28649 is a Republican stronghold. About 15% of voters here vote Democratic and 85% Republican.
About 59% of adults in 28649 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 28649, ~9% vote Democratic, ~50% Republican, and ~41% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 28649 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 28649 is the most Republican-leaning.
28649 runs about 67 points more Republican than North Carolina as a whole.
Why 28649 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 28649, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with a high white share and below-average college attainment vote Republican. In 28649, more than 99% of residents are non-Hispanic white, about 28 points above the U.S. average of 72%; about 10% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, about 17 points below the North Carolina average of 27%. Car-dependent areas vote Republican, and about 84% of residents in 28649 drive to work alone, above 84% of zip codes. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 81% of households in 28649 are family households, above 93% of zip codes.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; 28649, NC sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in 28649 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 28649 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 82% of adults in 28649 have completed high school, below 88% of zip codes. 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.