Graham leans slightly Republican by roughly 8 points: about 46% of voters vote Democratic and 54% Republican.
About 75% of adults in Graham typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Graham, ~35% vote Democratic, ~40% Republican, and ~25% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Graham compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Graham leans more Republican than 22 of 52 neighbors.
Graham runs about 4 points more Republican than North Carolina as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Graham. The northwest side runs the most Democratic (D+25) and the south side runs the most Republican (R+39), a spread of about 64 points.
Why Graham 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 Graham, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Graham votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 56%, well above the North Carolina average of 27%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Graham, NC sits in the top 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 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Graham is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Swepsonville, NC R+23
- Haw River, NC R+21
- Bellemont, NC R+58
- Burlington, NC D+9
- Alamance, NC R+48
- Green Level, NC D+16
- Mebane, NC Even
- Glen Raven, NC D+7
- Elon, NC R+6
- Snow Camp, NC R+53
Cities with Similar Populations
- Marquette, MI D+18
- Allen Park, MI R+3
- Agawam Town, MA R+6
- Wilsonville, OR D+21
- Oxford, OH D+16
- Shelbyville, KY R+26
- Rockville Centre, NY D+7
- Highland Park, IL D+50
- Washington, UT R+55
- Leland, NC R+18
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.