Gaston leans Democratic by roughly 24 points: about 62% of voters vote Democratic and 38% Republican.
About 71% of adults in Gaston typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Gaston, ~44% vote Democratic, ~27% Republican, and ~29% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Gaston compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Gaston leans more Democratic than 37 of 62 neighbors.
Gaston runs about 26 points more Democratic than North Carolina as a whole. North Carolina leans Republican overall, while Gaston is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Gaston. The north side runs the most Democratic (D+53) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (R+9), a spread of about 63 points.
Why Gaston 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 Gaston, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Gaston votes against the grain of North Carolina. North Carolina leans Republican overall, while Gaston runs about 26 points more Democratic.
Cholesterol-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high cholesterol-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Gaston, NC sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Cholesterol screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in Gaston looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Gaston is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Roanoke Rapids, NC D+4
- Barley, VA R+25
- Garysburg, NC D+56
- Skippers, VA R+6
- Rheasville, NC D+36
- Weldon, NC D+58
- Pleasant Hill, NC D+27
- Triplet, VA D+9
- Brink, VA D+12
- Days Crossroads, NC D+46
Cities with Similar Populations
- Morristown, IN R+54
- Muenster, TX R+76
- Uniontown, AL D+70
- Waterford Works, NJ R+22
- Littlerock, CA R+10
- Owen, WI R+42
- Mason City, IL R+43
- Machias, ME R+27
- Pedricktown, NJ R+14
- Electra, TX R+61
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.