Columbus County leans Republican by roughly 28 points: about 36% of voters vote Democratic and 64% Republican.
About 71% of adults in Columbus County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Columbus County, ~26% vote Democratic, ~45% Republican, and ~29% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Columbus County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Columbus County leans more Republican than 5 of 7 neighbors.
Columbus County runs about 24 points more Republican than North Carolina as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Columbus County. The south side is the most Republican-leaning (R+57) and the northeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+6), a spread of about 50 points.
Why Columbus 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 Columbus County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 83% of residents in Columbus County drive to work alone, about 10 points above the U.S. average of 74%. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Columbus County sits in the bottom quarter (about 15%, below 88% of counties).
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; Columbus County, NC sits below the national average 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 Columbus County looks the way it does
Turnout in Columbus County 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
- Bladen County, NC R+17
- Brunswick County, NC R+29
- Robeson County, NC R+13
- Horry County, SC R+30
- Marion County, SC D+17
- Dillon County, SC R+5
- New Hanover County, NC D+5
- Pender County, NC R+33
- Cumberland County, NC D+20
- Sampson County, NC R+26
Counties with Similar Populations
- Dearborn County, IN R+53
- Medina County, TX R+37
- Somerset County, ME R+29
- Venango County, PA R+42
- Bristol County, RI D+17
- Gibson County, TN R+44
- Cherokee County, TX R+47
- Lincoln County, OR D+13
- Henry County, VA R+31
- Bedford County, TN R+51
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.