Hattiesburg leans slightly Democratic by roughly 6 points: about 53% of voters vote Democratic and 47% Republican.
About 59% of adults in Hattiesburg typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Hattiesburg, ~31% vote Democratic, ~28% Republican, and ~41% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Hattiesburg compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Hattiesburg is the most Democratic-leaning.
Hattiesburg runs about 29 points more Democratic than Mississippi as a whole. Mississippi leans Republican overall, while Hattiesburg is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Hattiesburg. The northeast side runs the most Democratic (D+67) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (R+36), a spread of about 103 points.
Why Hattiesburg 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 Hattiesburg, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Density combined with diversity predicts Democratic voting. Non-Hispanic white share in Hattiesburg is about 49%, about 23 points below the U.S. average of 72%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Hattiesburg sits in the top quarter (about 37%, above 84% of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 41% of adults in Hattiesburg have never been married, above 94% of cities.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Hattiesburg, MS sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Hattiesburg looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 47% of households in Hattiesburg rent, about 22 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Limited routine healthcare access lines up with lower turnout, and Hattiesburg sits in the bottom quarter on routine-care measures. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 25% of adults in Hattiesburg report food insecurity, above 90% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Maybank, MS R+50
- Dixie Pine, MS R+66
- Dixie, MS R+65
- Glendale, MS R+57
- Petal, MS R+60
- Purvis, MS R+59
- Lux, MS R+35
- Eastabuchie, MS R+67
- McCallum, MS R+42
- Sumrall, MS R+73
Cities with Similar Populations
- Carmel, IN D+4
- San Ramon, CA D+34
- Englewood, CO D+27
- Town 'n' Country, FL R+6
- Suwanee, GA Even
- Avondale, AZ D+16
- Midlothian, VA Even
- Brooklyn Park, MN D+37
- Des Plaines, IL D+7
- Waukegan, IL D+39
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Mississippi Secretary of State, 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.