Amherst County leans heavily Republican by roughly 34 points: about 33% of voters vote Democratic and 67% Republican.
About 76% of adults in Amherst County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Amherst County, ~25% vote Democratic, ~51% Republican, and ~24% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Amherst County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Amherst County leans more Republican than 12 of 21 neighbors.
Amherst County runs about 39 points more Republican than Virginia as a whole. Virginia leans Democratic overall, while Amherst County is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Amherst County. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+47) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+25), a spread of about 23 points.
Why Amherst 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 Amherst County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Amherst County votes against the grain of Virginia. Virginia leans Democratic overall, while Amherst County runs about 39 points more Republican.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; Amherst County, VA sits below the national average 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 Amherst County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Amherst 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 63%, above 67% of counties. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 81% of households in Amherst County own their home, above 82% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Lynchburg City, VA D+10
- Campbell County, VA R+37
- Appomattox County, VA R+44
- Buena Vista City, VA R+35
- Nelson County, VA R+22
- Bedford County, VA R+43
- Rockbridge County, VA R+36
- Lexington City, VA D+10
- Buckingham County, VA R+23
- Waynesboro City, VA R+9
Counties with Similar Populations
- Coos County, NH R+24
- Gilmer County, GA R+59
- Titus County, TX R+40
- Huron County, MI R+42
- Adams County, NE R+42
- Delta County, CO R+35
- Polk County, MN R+31
- Pontotoc County, MS R+65
- Clarendon County, SC R+8
- Lake County, MT R+21
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.