Gulf leans Republican by roughly 24 points: about 38% of voters vote Democratic and 62% Republican.
About 84% of adults in Gulf typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Gulf, ~32% vote Democratic, ~52% Republican, and ~16% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Gulf compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Gulf leans more Republican than 13 of 46 neighbors.
Gulf runs about 21 points more Republican than North Carolina as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Gulf. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+35) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+14), a spread of about 21 points.
Why Gulf 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 Gulf, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 92% of residents in Gulf drive to work alone, about 18 points above the U.S. average of 74%.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Gulf, NC sits above the national average on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in Gulf looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Gulf 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 65%, about 5 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 93% of households in Gulf own their home, about 18 points above the U.S. average of 75%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Goldston, NC R+40
- Haw Branch, NC R+49
- Bear Creek, NC R+48
- Colon, NC R+10
- Glendon, NC R+57
- Harpers Crossroads, NC R+63
- Osgood, NC R+43
- Merry Oaks, NC R+20
- Mount Vernon Springs, NC R+36
Cities with Similar Populations
- Winchester, MS R+19
- Fontanet, IN R+37
- Richmond, LA R+35
- Wheeling, MO R+69
- Poplar, CA R+23
- Bear Lake, PA R+62
- Excello, MO R+69
- Loch Lynn Heights, MD R+66
- Wilford, ID R+72
- White Sulphur, KY R+37
All Local Stats
Home Services
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.