Gates leans Republican by roughly 18 points: about 41% of voters vote Democratic and 59% Republican.
About 83% of adults in Gates typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Gates, ~34% vote Democratic, ~49% Republican, and ~17% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Gates compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Gates leans more Republican than 25 of 52 neighbors.
Gates runs about 15 points more Republican than North Carolina as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Gates. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+33) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+11), a spread of about 22 points.
Why Gates 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 Gates, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 87% of residents in Gates drive to work alone, about 13 points above the U.S. average of 74%. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Gates sits in the bottom quarter (about 12%, below 86% of cities).
Developed land and Republican lean
Places with a rural land-use pattern tend to lean Republican; Gates, NC sits below the national average on this measure. Developed land does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Gates looks the way it does
Turnout in Gates 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
- Willeyton, NC R+26
- Gatesville, NC R+15
- Eure, NC R+45
- Corapeake, NC R+41
- Sunbury, NC R+27
- Riverdale, VA R+10
- Winton, NC D+20
- Hobbsville, NC R+34
- Cofield, NC D+30
- Delaware, VA D+14
Cities with Similar Populations
- Port Royal, PA R+59
- Tucker, TX R+66
- Fowler, MI R+48
- Reedsville, WV R+56
- Hager City, WI R+34
- Lauderdale, MS R+42
- Cherry Valley, MA R+6
- Port Sulphur, LA D+6
- Ganado, AZ D+58
- Olton, 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.