High Shoals is a Republican stronghold. About 20% of voters here vote Democratic and 80% Republican.
About 93% of adults in High Shoals typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in High Shoals, ~19% vote Democratic, ~74% Republican, and ~7% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How High Shoals compares
Among cities within 25 miles, High Shoals leans more Republican than 52 of 62 neighbors.
High Shoals runs about 57 points more Republican than North Carolina as a whole.
Why High Shoals 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 High Shoals, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 87% of residents in High Shoals drive to work alone, about 14 points above the U.S. average of 74%. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 79% of households in High Shoals are family households, above 86% of cities.
High-school completion and voter turnout
Places with high-school-completion-heavy adults tend to turn out at a higher rate; High Shoals, NC sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in High Shoals looks the way it does
Turnout in High Shoals 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 Cities
- Dallas, NC R+32
- Alexis, NC R+57
- Lincolnton, NC R+45
- Iron Station, NC R+53
- Crouse, NC R+61
- Bessemer City, NC R+44
- Stanley, NC R+43
- Ranlo, NC R+12
- Mariposa, NC R+47
- Machpelah, NC R+42
Cities with Similar Populations
- Shiloh, NJ R+39
- Jefferson, MS R+81
- Mount Joy, TN R+69
- Delphi, OH R+60
- North Delta, CO R+47
- Palominas, AZ R+37
- Hemlock, IN R+53
- Colony, KS R+64
- Mount Pleasant, OH R+54
- Keene, NY D+35
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.