Avery County is a Republican stronghold. About 24% of voters here vote Democratic and 76% Republican.
About 71% of adults in Avery County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Avery County, ~17% vote Democratic, ~54% Republican, and ~29% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Avery County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Avery County leans more Republican than 13 of 19 neighbors.
Avery County runs about 49 points more Republican than North Carolina as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Avery County. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+64) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+26), a spread of about 38 points.
Why Avery 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 Avery County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 13% of residents in Avery County live in densely developed areas, about 13 points below the North Carolina average of 27%.
Homeownership and voter turnout
Places with homeowner-heavy households tend to turn out at a higher rate; Avery County, NC sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Avery County looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 83% of households in Avery County own their home, about 9 points above the North Carolina average of 74%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Mitchell County, NC R+56
- Watauga County, NC D+6
- Carter County, TN R+61
- Yancey County, NC R+43
- Unicoi County, TN R+57
- Johnson County, TN R+67
- Caldwell County, NC R+47
- McDowell County, NC R+50
- Burke County, NC R+40
- Washington County, TN R+37
Counties with Similar Populations
- King William County, VA R+38
- San Juan County, WA D+50
- Hughes County, SD R+34
- Haywood County, TN D+13
- Gilchrist County, FL R+68
- Young County, TX R+66
- Eastland County, TX R+67
- Attala County, MS R+13
- Schuyler County, NY R+23
- Winston County, MS R+10
All Local Stats
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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.