Catawba is a Republican stronghold. About 23% of voters here vote Democratic and 77% Republican.
About 84% of adults in Catawba typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Catawba, ~19% vote Democratic, ~65% Republican, and ~16% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Catawba compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Catawba leans more Republican than 32 of 54 neighbors.
Catawba runs about 60 points more Republican than Virginia as a whole. Virginia leans Democratic overall, while Catawba is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Catawba. The west side is the most Republican-leaning (R+65) and the southwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+51), a spread of about 14 points.
Why Catawba 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 Catawba, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Catawba votes against the grain of Virginia. Virginia leans Democratic overall, while Catawba runs about 60 points more Republican. Rural areas vote Republican, and Catawba sits in the bottom quarter on density (about 5%, below 76% of cities).
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; Catawba, VA sits in the bottom 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 Catawba looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Catawba 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 70%, about 10 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 97% of households in Catawba own their home, about 22 points above the U.S. average of 75%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 96% of adults in Catawba have completed high school, above 83% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Mason Cove, VA R+49
- Sinking Creek, VA R+65
- Glenvar, VA R+38
- Simmonsville, VA R+64
- McDonalds Mill, VA R+34
- Salem, VA R+25
- New Castle, VA R+64
- Lafayette, VA R+44
- Maggie, VA R+61
- Craig Springs, VA R+62
Cities with Similar Populations
- Estabrook, CO R+27
- Granville, MA R+16
- Flagler, CO R+73
- Olney, MT R+29
- Senior, OH R+62
- Ashton, IA R+67
- Schmidt Corner, MI R+12
- West Carlisle, TX R+75
- Berryton, GA R+69
- Sparkman, AR R+58
All Local Stats
Home Services
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.