Dillsboro leans heavily Republican by roughly 34 points: about 33% of voters vote Democratic and 67% Republican.
About 75% of adults in Dillsboro typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Dillsboro, ~25% vote Democratic, ~50% Republican, and ~25% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Dillsboro compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Dillsboro leans more Republican than 24 of 45 neighbors.
Dillsboro runs about 32 points more Republican than North Carolina as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Dillsboro. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+42) and the southeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+16), a spread of about 26 points.
Why Dillsboro leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per city to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Dillsboro, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 88% of residents in Dillsboro drive to work alone, about 14 points above the U.S. average of 74%.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Dillsboro, NC sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Dillsboro looks the way it does
Turnout in Dillsboro 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 Cities
- Webster, NC R+28
- Sylva, NC R+32
- Gay, NC R+38
- Whittier, NC R+34
- Forest Hills, NC R+5
- Pumpkintown, NC R+25
- Cullowhee, NC Even
- Cherokee, NC D+8
- East Laport, NC R+30
Cities with Similar Populations
- Bunker Hill, TN R+65
- Burke, TN R+70
- Pom-o-sa Heights, MO R+62
- Granville, IN R+51
- Jeddo, AL R+73
- Golden Eagle, IL R+53
- Palmer, KS R+73
- Reynolds, MO R+70
- Rhame, ND R+80
- Sandy Hollow-Escondidas, TX R+69
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.