Dare County leans Republican by roughly 24 points: about 38% of voters vote Democratic and 62% Republican.
About 91% of adults in Dare County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Dare County, ~35% vote Democratic, ~56% Republican, and ~9% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Dare County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Dare County leans more Republican than 2 of 6 neighbors.
Dare County runs about 22 points more Republican than North Carolina as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Dare County. The west side is the most Republican-leaning (R+57) and the northwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+12), a spread of about 45 points.
Why Dare County leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Dare 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; Dare 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 Dare County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Dare 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 72%, about 12 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 95% of adults in Dare County have completed high school, above 90% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Tyrrell County, NC R+12
- Currituck County, NC R+49
- Pasquotank County, NC Even
- Camden County, NC R+48
- Hyde County, NC R+25
- Perquimans County, NC R+34
- Washington County, NC D+7
- Chowan County, NC R+12
- Virginia Beach City, VA D+9
- Chesapeake City, VA D+9
Counties with Similar Populations
- Delta County, MI R+22
- Clinton County, IL R+47
- Webster Parish, LA R+27
- Clark County, KY R+39
- Webster County, IA R+22
- Macon County, NC R+42
- Dyer County, TN R+47
- Hopkins County, TX R+61
- Chippewa County, MI R+11
- McLeod County, MN R+40
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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.