Cumberland County leans Democratic by roughly 20 points: about 60% of voters vote Democratic and 40% Republican.
About 69% of adults in Cumberland County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Cumberland County, ~41% vote Democratic, ~28% Republican, and ~31% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Cumberland County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Cumberland County is the most Democratic-leaning.
Cumberland County runs about 23 points more Democratic than North Carolina as a whole. North Carolina leans Republican overall, while Cumberland County is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Cumberland County. The west side runs the most Democratic (D+46) and the southeast side runs the most Republican (R+23), a spread of about 69 points.
Why Cumberland 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 Cumberland County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 69% of residents in Cumberland County live in densely developed areas, about 33 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 34% of adults in Cumberland County have never been married, above 82% of counties. Cumberland County runs against the grain of North Carolina, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Developed land and Democratic lean
Places with a heavily developed built environment tend to lean Democratic; Cumberland County, NC sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Developed land does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Cumberland County looks the way it does
Turnout in Cumberland 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
- Hoke County, NC D+7
- Harnett County, NC R+21
- Robeson County, NC R+13
- Sampson County, NC R+26
- Lee County, NC R+18
- Moore County, NC R+24
- Bladen County, NC R+17
- Scotland County, NC D+2
- Richmond County, NC R+15
- Johnston County, NC R+21
Counties with Similar Populations
- Henrico County, VA D+31
- Howard County, MD D+40
- Rockland County, NY R+14
- Boulder County, CO D+52
- St. Lucie County, FL R+5
- Weld County, CO R+17
- Spartanburg County, SC R+25
- Rutherford County, TN R+16
- Luzerne County, PA R+14
- Durham County, NC D+59
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.