Burke County leans heavily Republican by roughly 40 points: about 30% of voters vote Democratic and 70% Republican.
About 75% of adults in Burke County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Burke County, ~23% vote Democratic, ~52% Republican, and ~25% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Burke County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Burke County leans more Republican than 6 of 17 neighbors.
Burke County runs about 37 points more Republican than North Carolina as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Burke County. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+62) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+22), a spread of about 39 points.
Why Burke 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 Burke County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 84% of residents in Burke County drive to work alone, about 10 points above the U.S. average of 74%.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Burke County, NC sits above the national average on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in Burke County looks the way it does
Turnout in Burke 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
- Caldwell County, NC R+47
- McDowell County, NC R+50
- Catawba County, NC R+33
- Alexander County, NC R+56
- Avery County, NC R+52
- Rutherford County, NC R+46
- Mitchell County, NC R+56
- Cleveland County, NC R+33
- Lincoln County, NC R+45
- Watauga County, NC D+6
Counties with Similar Populations
- Polk County, OR R+4
- Cullman County, AL R+76
- Elmore County, AL R+47
- Josephine County, OR R+25
- Bannock County, ID R+25
- Island County, WA D+10
- Lincoln County, NC R+45
- Lapeer County, MI R+38
- Muskingum County, OH R+41
- Angelina County, TX R+41
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.