Cape May County leans Republican by roughly 18 points: about 41% of voters vote Democratic and 59% Republican.
About 81% of adults in Cape May County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Cape May County, ~33% vote Democratic, ~48% Republican, and ~19% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Cape May County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Cape May County is the most Republican-leaning.
Cape May County runs about 24 points more Republican than New Jersey as a whole. New Jersey leans Democratic overall, while Cape May County is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Cape May County. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+44) and the southwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+15), a spread of about 29 points.
Why Cape May 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 Cape May County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Cape May County votes against the grain of New Jersey. New Jersey leans Democratic overall, while Cape May County runs about 24 points more Republican.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Cape May County, NJ sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in Cape May County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Cape May County 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 67%, about 7 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 81% of households in Cape May County own their home, above 83% of counties. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 94% of adults in Cape May County have completed high school, above 88% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Atlantic County, NJ D+4
- Cumberland County, NJ D+7
- Kent County, DE D+5
- Sussex County, DE R+12
- Salem County, NJ R+12
- Gloucester County, NJ R+2
- Camden County, NJ D+30
- Caroline County, MD R+34
- Worcester County, MD R+12
- New Castle County, DE D+33
Counties with Similar Populations
- Rogers County, OK R+49
- Grand Traverse County, MI R+3
- Benton County, OR D+42
- Geauga County, OH R+30
- Nash County, NC D+3
- Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK R+9
- Lancaster County, SC R+23
- Cabell County, WV R+19
- Suffolk City, VA D+20
- Walton County, GA R+37
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from New Jersey Division 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.