Elon leans slightly Republican by roughly 6 points: about 47% of voters vote Democratic and 53% Republican.
About 71% of adults in Elon typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Elon, ~34% vote Democratic, ~38% Republican, and ~28% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Elon compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Elon leans more Republican than 16 of 50 neighbors.
Politically, Elon sits close to the rest of North Carolina.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Elon. The north side is the most split-leaning (R+19) and the west side is the least split-leaning (Even), a spread of about 19 points.
Why Elon 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 Elon, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Elon votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 76%, far above the North Carolina average of 27%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Elon, NC sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Elon looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Elon 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 67%, about 7 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Glen Raven, NC D+7
- Gibsonville, NC R+8
- Burlington, NC D+9
- Ossipee, NC R+40
- Alamance, NC R+48
- Elon College, NC R+36
- Whitsett, NC D+6
- Sedalia, NC R+3
- Bellemont, NC R+58
- Graham, NC R+8
Cities with Similar Populations
- Bonner Springs, KS R+21
- Swannanoa, NC D+5
- Jasper, TX R+17
- Circle Pines, MN Even
- Kinnelon, NJ R+18
- Fort Bliss, TX R+10
- Waimanalo, HI D+15
- Hebron, TX D+3
- Terryville, NY R+21
- Vicksburg, MI R+18
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.