Guilford County leans heavily Democratic by roughly 30 points: about 65% of voters vote Democratic and 35% Republican.
About 75% of adults in Guilford County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Guilford County, ~49% vote Democratic, ~26% Republican, and ~25% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Guilford County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Guilford County leans more Democratic than 14 of 16 neighbors.
Guilford County runs about 33 points more Democratic than North Carolina as a whole. North Carolina leans Republican overall, while Guilford County is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Guilford County. The east side runs the most Democratic (D+56) and the northwest side runs the most Republican (R+12), a spread of about 68 points.
Why Guilford 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 Guilford County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 73% of residents in Guilford County live in densely developed areas, about 37 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Guilford County sits in the top quarter (about 39%, above 90% of counties). Guilford County runs against the grain of North Carolina, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Guilford County, 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 Guilford County looks the way it does
Turnout in Guilford 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
- Randolph County, NC R+46
- Forsyth County, NC D+18
- Rockingham County, NC R+31
- Alamance County, NC R+4
- Davidson County, NC R+36
- Stokes County, NC R+57
- Caswell County, NC R+23
- Davie County, NC R+45
- Chatham County, NC R+3
- Martinsville City, VA D+22
Counties with Similar Populations
- Summit County, OH D+10
- Spokane County, WA R+3
- Montgomery County, OH D+6
- Chester County, PA D+14
- Plymouth County, MA D+11
- Ramsey County, MN D+43
- Stanislaus County, CA R+8
- Lancaster County, PA R+17
- Volusia County, FL R+17
- Greenville County, SC R+14
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.