Hertford County leans Democratic by roughly 24 points: about 62% of voters vote Democratic and 38% Republican.
About 72% of adults in Hertford County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Hertford County, ~45% vote Democratic, ~27% Republican, and ~28% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Hertford County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Hertford County leans more Democratic than 16 of 20 neighbors.
Hertford County runs about 28 points more Democratic than North Carolina as a whole. North Carolina leans Republican overall, while Hertford County is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Hertford County. The east side runs the most Democratic (D+37) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (R+28), a spread of about 65 points.
Why Hertford 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 Hertford County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with many never-married adults vote Democratic. About 37% of adults in Hertford County have never been married, modestly above similar-sized counties (around 29%). Hertford County runs against the grain of North Carolina, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Housing overcrowding and voter turnout
Places with low overcrowding tend to turn out at a higher rate; Hertford County, NC sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Hertford County looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Hertford County 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 Counties
- Gates County, NC R+29
- Bertie County, NC D+19
- Franklin City, VA D+32
- Northampton County, NC D+15
- Southampton County, VA R+22
- Chowan County, NC R+12
- Perquimans County, NC R+34
- Martin County, NC R+4
- Halifax County, NC D+22
- Emporia City, VA D+43
Counties with Similar Populations
- Letcher County, KY R+65
- Hockley County, TX R+63
- Scott County, VA R+70
- Logan County, CO R+50
- Sevier County, UT R+70
- Dakota County, NE R+15
- Jersey County, IL R+44
- Stutsman County, ND R+34
- Gaines County, TX R+70
- Minidoka County, ID R+58
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.