Burlington leans slightly Democratic by roughly 8 points: about 54% of voters vote Democratic and 46% Republican.
About 70% of adults in Burlington typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Burlington, ~38% vote Democratic, ~32% Republican, and ~30% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Burlington compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Burlington leans more Democratic than 43 of 50 neighbors.
Burlington runs about 12 points more Democratic than North Carolina as a whole. North Carolina leans Republican overall, while Burlington is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Burlington. The east side runs the most Democratic (D+29) and the northwest side runs the most Republican (R+25), a spread of about 54 points.
Why Burlington 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 Burlington, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 73% of residents in Burlington live in densely developed areas, about 37 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 35% of adults in Burlington have never been married, above 87% of cities. Burlington runs against the grain of North Carolina, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Burlington, NC sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Burlington looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Burlington is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Glen Raven, NC D+7
- Elon, NC R+6
- Alamance, NC R+48
- Graham, NC R+8
- Green Level, NC D+16
- Gibsonville, NC R+8
- Elon College, NC R+36
- Ossipee, NC R+40
- Bellemont, NC R+58
- Haw River, NC R+21
Cities with Similar Populations
- Anderson, IN R+14
- Dublin, CA D+35
- Grand Junction, CO R+11
- Traverse City, MI D+3
- Tonawanda, NY D+9
- Glen Burnie, MD D+17
- Lacey, WA D+23
- Union City, CA D+33
- Gary, IN D+70
- Utica, NY D+9
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.