Charlottesville City is a Democratic stronghold. About 80% of voters here vote Democratic and 20% Republican.
About 68% of adults in Charlottesville City typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Charlottesville City, ~54% vote Democratic, ~14% Republican, and ~32% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Charlottesville City compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Charlottesville City is the most Democratic-leaning.
Charlottesville City runs about 54 points more Democratic than Virginia as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Charlottesville City. The south side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+67) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+43), a spread of about 24 points.
Why Charlottesville City 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 Charlottesville City, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 62% of adults in Charlottesville City hold a bachelor's degree, about 34 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and Charlottesville City sits in the top fifth on density (about 96%, in the top fraction of counties). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 50% of adults in Charlottesville City have never been married, in the top fraction of counties.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Charlottesville City, VA sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Charlottesville City looks the way it does
Turnout in Charlottesville City 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
- Albemarle County, VA D+24
- Fluvanna County, VA R+16
- Greene County, VA R+26
- Waynesboro City, VA R+9
- Nelson County, VA R+22
- Madison County, VA R+34
- Louisa County, VA R+32
- Augusta County, VA R+45
- Buckingham County, VA R+23
- Staunton City, VA Even
Counties with Similar Populations
- Chambers County, TX R+58
- Clinton County, IA R+21
- Allegany County, NY R+39
- Stevens County, WA R+37
- Jackson County, IN R+51
- Auglaize County, OH R+59
- Barron County, WI R+28
- Nelson County, KY R+46
- Cortland County, NY R+17
- Monroe County, WI R+28
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.