Atlantic Beach leans heavily Republican by roughly 32 points: about 34% of voters vote Democratic and 66% Republican.
About 84% of adults in Atlantic Beach typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Atlantic Beach, ~29% vote Democratic, ~55% Republican, and ~16% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Atlantic Beach compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Atlantic Beach leans more Republican than 14 of 37 neighbors.
Atlantic Beach runs about 28 points more Republican than North Carolina as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Atlantic Beach. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+38) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+26), a spread of about 12 points.
Why Atlantic Beach leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per city to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Atlantic Beach, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Atlantic Beach votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 29%, about 7 points below the U.S. average of 36%). Here an older population outweighs the Democratic lean that density usually predicts.
High-school completion, uninsured rate, and voter turnout
Places that combine high-school-completion-heavy adults and a low uninsured rate tend to turn out at a higher rate, as Atlantic Beach, NC does.
Why turnout in Atlantic Beach looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Atlantic Beach 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 69%, about 9 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and more than 99% of adults in Atlantic Beach have completed high school, in the top fraction of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Morehead City, NC R+22
- Mansfield, NC R+41
- Pine Knoll Shores, NC R+22
- Mill Creek, NC R+52
- Beaufort, NC R+29
- Indian Beach, NC R+26
- Salter Path, NC R+26
- Newport, NC R+39
- Bettie, NC R+20
Cities with Similar Populations
- Floral, AR R+70
- Prewitt, NM D+24
- Kettleman City, CA R+4
- Vilano Beach, FL R+27
- Diamond Lake, WA R+32
- Sodaville, OR R+41
- Falls City, ID R+61
- Eldridge, CA D+44
- Oaktown, IN R+59
- Thomas, KY R+62
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.