Bath County is a Republican stronghold. About 23% of voters here vote Democratic and 77% Republican.
About 78% of adults in Bath County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Bath County, ~18% vote Democratic, ~60% Republican, and ~22% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Bath County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Bath County leans more Republican than 12 of 15 neighbors.
Bath County runs about 60 points more Republican than Virginia as a whole. Virginia leans Democratic overall, while Bath County is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Bath County. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+65) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+46), a spread of about 19 points.
Why Bath 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 Bath County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 3% of residents in Bath County live in densely developed areas, about 23 points below the Virginia average of 26%. A high white share with below-average college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Bath County fits that profile on both counts. Bath County runs against the grain of Virginia, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; Bath County, VA 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 Bath County looks the way it does
Turnout in Bath County sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Alleghany County, VA R+51
- Covington City, VA R+29
- Pocahontas County, WV R+55
- Lexington City, VA D+10
- Rockbridge County, VA R+36
- Highland County, VA R+46
- Buena Vista City, VA R+35
- Staunton City, VA Even
- Botetourt County, VA R+45
- Augusta County, VA R+45
Counties with Similar Populations
- Kittson County, MN R+34
- Phillips County, MT R+52
- Holt County, MO R+61
- Barber County, KS R+69
- Mora County, NM D+18
- Hidalgo County, NM R+22
- Grant County, OK R+70
- Menominee County, WI D+59
- Tensas Parish, LA R+4
- Custer County, ID R+52
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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.