Gloucester County leans heavily Republican by roughly 38 points: about 31% of voters vote Democratic and 69% Republican.
About 88% of adults in Gloucester County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Gloucester County, ~27% vote Democratic, ~61% Republican, and ~12% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Gloucester County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Gloucester County leans more Republican than 27 of 29 neighbors.
Gloucester County runs about 44 points more Republican than Virginia as a whole. Virginia leans Democratic overall, while Gloucester County is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Gloucester County. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+42) and the southwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+29), a spread of about 13 points.
Why Gloucester 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 Gloucester County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 83% of residents in Gloucester County drive to work alone, about 9 points above the U.S. average of 74%. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 70% of households in Gloucester County are family households, above 78% of counties. Gloucester County runs against the grain of Virginia, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Food insecurity and voter turnout
Places with low food insecurity tend to turn out at a higher rate; Gloucester County, VA sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Food insecurity does not directly drive turnout; it reflects economic hardship, which lines up with lower voting.
Why turnout in Gloucester County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Gloucester County 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 68%, about 8 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 81% of households in Gloucester County own their home, above 82% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Mathews County, VA R+39
- Williamsburg City, VA D+43
- James City County, VA D+8
- York County, VA R+3
- Middlesex County, VA R+27
- Poquoson City, VA R+38
- Newport News City, VA D+38
- Lancaster County, VA R+9
- Hampton City, VA D+41
- Surry County, VA D+2
Counties with Similar Populations
- Champaign County, OH R+51
- Isle of Wight County, VA R+17
- Colleton County, SC R+17
- Warren County, PA R+41
- Graham County, AZ R+39
- Jim Wells County, TX R+14
- Des Moines County, IA R+8
- Finney County, KS R+25
- Woodford County, IL R+40
- Dallas County, AL D+38
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.