Cherokee County is a Republican stronghold. About 12% of voters here vote Democratic and 88% Republican.
About 71% of adults in Cherokee County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Cherokee County, ~9% vote Democratic, ~62% Republican, and ~29% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Cherokee County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Cherokee County leans more Republican than 13 of 14 neighbors.
Cherokee County runs about 45 points more Republican than Alabama as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Cherokee County. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+84) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+71), a spread of about 12 points.
Why Cherokee 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 Cherokee County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 11% of residents in Cherokee County live in densely developed areas, about 8 points below the Alabama average of 19%. A high white share with below-average college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Cherokee County fits that profile on both counts.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; Cherokee County, AL sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in Cherokee County looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 82% of households in Cherokee County own their home, about 7 points above the U.S. average of 75%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- DeKalb County, AL R+71
- Etowah County, AL R+49
- Floyd County, GA R+37
- Chattooga County, GA R+58
- Polk County, GA R+53
- Calhoun County, AL R+35
- Haralson County, GA R+73
- Marshall County, AL R+64
- Cleburne County, AL R+84
- Jackson County, AL R+71
Counties with Similar Populations
- Chattooga County, GA R+58
- Audrain County, MO R+48
- Bremer County, IA R+25
- Grant County, KY R+62
- Prentiss County, MS R+58
- Hickman County, TN R+67
- Manistee County, MI R+18
- Otsego County, MI R+28
- Routt County, CO D+12
- Lauderdale County, TN R+23
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Alabama Secretary of State, 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.