Ghent Square leans heavily Democratic by roughly 40 points: about 70% of voters vote Democratic and 30% Republican.
About 72% of adults in Ghent Square typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Ghent Square, ~50% vote Democratic, ~22% Republican, and ~28% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Ghent Square compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Ghent Square leans more Democratic than 6 of 17 neighbors.
Ghent Square runs about 33 points more Democratic than Virginia as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Ghent Square. The northeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+51) and the south side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+15), a spread of about 35 points.
Why Ghent Square leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per neighborhood to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Ghent Square, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 72% of adults in Ghent Square hold a bachelor's degree, about 44 points above the U.S. average of 28%.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Ghent Square, Norfolk, VA sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in Ghent Square looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Ghent Square 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 75%, about 15 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and more than 99% of adults in Ghent Square have completed high school, above 91% of neighborhoods. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Ghent, Norfolk, VA D+49
- Downtown Norfolk, Norfolk, VA D+61
- Park Place, Norfolk, VA D+72
- Lindenwood, Norfolk, VA D+80
- Central Brambleton, Norfolk, VA D+84
- Colonial Place Riverview, Norfolk, VA D+61
- Highland Park, Norfolk, VA D+73
- Lamberts Point, Norfolk, VA D+67
- Fairmont Park, Norfolk, VA D+63
- Ballentine Place, Norfolk, VA D+68
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Mesa Junction, Pueblo, CO D+27
- Kingsley, Buffalo, NY D+84
- Long Branch Creek, Arlington, VA D+59
- Westchester, Charlotte, NC D+72
- Wachter's, Bismarck, ND R+18
- East Westwood, Cincinnati, OH D+80
- Jeff Davis, Richmond, VA D+58
- University North, Fort Collins, CO D+59
- Downtown, Wilmington, DE D+83
- Carver, Waco, TX D+60
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Virginia Department 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.