Chatham County is a true toss-up. About 48% of voters here vote Democratic and 52% Republican.
About 87% of adults in Chatham County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Chatham County, ~42% vote Democratic, ~45% Republican, and ~13% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Chatham County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Chatham County leans more Republican than 4 of 14 neighbors.
Politically, Chatham County sits close to the rest of North Carolina.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Chatham County. The northeast side runs the most Democratic (D+16) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (R+55), a spread of about 70 points.
Why Chatham County leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Chatham County. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Chatham County, NC sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in Chatham County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Chatham 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 Chatham County own their home, above 83% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Orange County, NC D+48
- Lee County, NC R+18
- Durham County, NC D+59
- Alamance County, NC R+4
- Wake County, NC D+28
- Harnett County, NC R+21
- Randolph County, NC R+46
- Moore County, NC R+24
- Guilford County, NC D+30
- Person County, NC R+24
Counties with Similar Populations
- Cayuga County, NY R+17
- Valencia County, NM R+13
- Walker County, TX R+20
- Cheshire County, NH Even
- Jackson County, GA R+54
- White County, AR R+56
- Grays Harbor County, WA R+8
- Erie County, OH R+13
- Van Buren County, MI R+20
- Cattaraugus County, NY R+29
All Local Stats
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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.