Carolina Beach leans slightly Republican by roughly 10 points: about 45% of voters vote Democratic and 55% Republican.
About 88% of adults in Carolina Beach typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Carolina Beach, ~40% vote Democratic, ~49% Republican, and ~11% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Carolina Beach compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Carolina Beach leans more Republican than 7 of 32 neighbors.
Carolina Beach runs about 8 points more Republican than North Carolina as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Carolina Beach. The west side is the most Republican-leaning (R+16) and the north side is the least Republican-leaning (R+3), a spread of about 13 points.
Why Carolina Beach 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 Carolina Beach, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Carolina Beach votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 61%, far above the North Carolina average of 27%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Carolina Beach, NC sits in the top tenth 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 Carolina Beach looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Carolina Beach 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 71%, about 11 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 99% of adults in Carolina Beach have completed high school, above 98% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Kure Beach, NC R+12
- Myrtle Grove, NC R+16
- Boiling Spring Lakes, NC R+43
- Funston, NC R+33
- Southport, NC R+23
- Winnabow, NC R+25
- Wilmington, NC D+8
- Caswell Beach, NC R+24
- Bald Head Island, NC R+7
- Wrightsville Beach, NC R+12
Cities with Similar Populations
- Ravenswood, WV R+48
- Cobleskill, NY R+13
- Hainesport, NJ Even
- Vidalia, LA R+50
- Winnebago, IL R+32
- Finderne, NJ D+9
- Perham, MN R+39
- York Haven, PA R+39
- Cheverly, MD D+72
- Baldwin City, KS R+14
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.