Albemarle County leans Democratic by roughly 24 points: about 62% of voters vote Democratic and 38% Republican.
About 84% of adults in Albemarle County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Albemarle County, ~52% vote Democratic, ~32% Republican, and ~16% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Albemarle County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Albemarle County leans more Democratic than 19 of 20 neighbors.
Albemarle County runs about 18 points more Democratic than Virginia as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Albemarle County. The east side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+34) and the southeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+2), a spread of about 31 points.
Why Albemarle County leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per county to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Albemarle County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 61% of adults in Albemarle County hold a bachelor's degree, about 33 points above the U.S. average of 28%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 32% of adults in Albemarle County have never been married, above 75% of counties.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Albemarle County, VA sits in the top 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 Albemarle County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Albemarle County is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 72%, about 12 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 94% of adults in Albemarle County have completed high school, above 82% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Charlottesville City, VA D+60
- Greene County, VA R+26
- Fluvanna County, VA R+16
- Waynesboro City, VA R+9
- Nelson County, VA R+22
- Madison County, VA R+34
- Augusta County, VA R+45
- Louisa County, VA R+32
- Staunton City, VA Even
- Rockingham County, VA R+40
Counties with Similar Populations
- LaPorte County, IN R+11
- Ontario County, NY R+2
- Newton County, GA D+16
- Delaware County, IN R+11
- Craighead County, AR R+27
- Douglas County, OR R+29
- Androscoggin County, ME R+12
- St. Mary's County, MD R+12
- Cowlitz County, WA R+18
- Hardin County, KY R+27
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Virginia 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.