Hillsborough leans Democratic by roughly 28 points: about 64% of voters vote Democratic and 36% Republican.
About 92% of adults in Hillsborough typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Hillsborough, ~59% vote Democratic, ~33% Republican, and ~8% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Hillsborough compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Hillsborough leans more Democratic than 45 of 49 neighbors.
Hillsborough runs about 31 points more Democratic than North Carolina as a whole. North Carolina leans Republican overall, while Hillsborough is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Hillsborough. The west side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+41) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+13), a spread of about 28 points.
Why Hillsborough 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 Hillsborough, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 54% of adults in Hillsborough hold a bachelor's degree, about 26 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and Hillsborough sits in the top fifth on density (about 31%, above 81% of cities). Hillsborough runs against the grain of North Carolina, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Hillsborough, NC 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 Hillsborough looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Hillsborough 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 71%, about 11 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Schley, NC D+22
- Efland, NC Even
- Cedar Grove, NC R+8
- Orange Grove, NC Even
- Mebane, NC Even
- Carrboro, NC D+68
- Chapel Hill, NC D+43
- Durham, NC D+59
- Orange Factory, NC D+12
Cities with Similar Populations
- Mauldin, SC Even
- Plainview, NY D+5
- Jefferson, GA R+54
- Hixson, TN R+31
- Hackettstown, NJ R+9
- Zionsville, IN D+4
- Lisle, IL D+21
- Mint Hill, NC R+4
- Haymarket, VA Even
- Marshall, TX R+7
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.