Gilchrist County is a Republican stronghold. About 16% of voters here vote Democratic and 84% Republican.
About 77% of adults in Gilchrist County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Gilchrist County, ~12% vote Democratic, ~65% Republican, and ~23% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Gilchrist County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Gilchrist County is the most Republican-leaning.
Gilchrist County runs about 55 points more Republican than Florida as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Gilchrist County. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+74) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+61), a spread of about 13 points.
Why Gilchrist County leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per county to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Gilchrist County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with many family households vote Republican. About 73% of households in Gilchrist County are family households, about 6 points above the U.S. average of 67%. Rural areas vote Republican, and Gilchrist County sits in the bottom quarter on density (about 9%, below 85% of counties). Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Gilchrist County sits in the bottom quarter (about 15%, below 86% of counties).
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; Gilchrist County, FL sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Gilchrist County looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 86% of households in Gilchrist County own their home, about 15 points above the Florida average of 71%. Limited routine healthcare access lines up with lower turnout, and Gilchrist County sits in the bottom quarter on routine-care measures. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Dixie County, FL R+67
- Levy County, FL R+56
- Alachua County, FL D+22
- Columbia County, FL R+44
- Lafayette County, FL R+65
- Union County, FL R+61
- Suwannee County, FL R+58
- Bradford County, FL R+50
- Taylor County, FL R+54
- Baker County, FL R+61
Counties with Similar Populations
- Haywood County, TN D+13
- Young County, TX R+66
- Attala County, MS R+13
- Schuyler County, NY R+23
- King William County, VA R+38
- Avery County, NC R+52
- Unicoi County, TN R+57
- Bertie County, NC D+19
- Kalkaska County, MI R+42
- San Juan County, WA D+50
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Florida Division 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.