Graham County is a Republican stronghold. About 19% of voters here vote Democratic and 81% Republican.
About 77% of adults in Graham County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Graham County, ~15% vote Democratic, ~62% Republican, and ~23% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Graham County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Graham County leans more Republican than 14 of 17 neighbors.
Graham County runs about 58 points more Republican than North Carolina as a whole.
Why Graham 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 Graham County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 9% of residents in Graham County live in densely developed areas, about 18 points below the North Carolina average of 27%. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Graham County sits in the bottom quarter (about 17%, below 76% of counties).
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; Graham County, NC sits in the bottom quarter 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 Graham County looks the way it does
Turnout in Graham County 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 Counties
- Clay County, NC R+46
- Cherokee County, NC R+51
- Swain County, NC R+27
- Macon County, NC R+42
- Towns County, GA R+53
- Blount County, TN R+49
- Jackson County, NC R+18
- Union County, GA R+58
- Monroe County, TN R+67
- Rabun County, GA R+56
Counties with Similar Populations
- Twiggs County, GA R+22
- Allendale County, SC D+37
- Schoolcraft County, MI R+28
- Clay County, WV R+63
- Traill County, ND R+37
- Hamilton County, IL R+62
- San Miguel County, CO D+35
- Liberty County, FL R+45
- Lemhi County, ID R+61
- Clay County, KS R+56
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.