Hillsborough is a Democratic stronghold. About 78% of voters here vote Democratic and 22% Republican.
About 58% of adults in Hillsborough typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Hillsborough, ~45% vote Democratic, ~13% Republican, and ~42% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Hillsborough compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Hillsborough leans more Democratic than 7 of 13 neighbors.
Hillsborough runs about 59 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 block within Hillsborough. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+67) and the southwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+40), a spread of about 26 points.
Why Hillsborough leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per neighborhood 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.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in Hillsborough live in densely developed areas, about 64 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Hillsborough sits in the top quarter (about 73%, above 93% of neighborhoods). Hillsborough runs against the grain of North Carolina, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Never-married share, developed land, and voter turnout
Places that combine a never-married-heavy adult population and a heavily developed built environment tend to turn out at a lower rate, as Hillsborough, Raleigh, NC does.
Why turnout in Hillsborough looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 80% of households in Hillsborough rent, about 55 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Wade, Raleigh, NC D+44
- Central, Raleigh, NC D+65
- Five Points, Raleigh, NC D+38
- Mordecai, Raleigh, NC D+61
- North Central, Raleigh, NC D+67
- Southwest Raleigh, Raleigh, NC D+47
- Glenwood, Raleigh, NC D+19
- South Central, Raleigh, NC D+69
- West, Raleigh, NC D+45
- East Raleigh, Raleigh, NC D+64
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Riviera, Santa Barbara, CA D+49
- U Street Corridor, Washington, DC D+80
- Far South, Columbus, OH R+8
- Cypress Park, Los Angeles, CA D+51
- Hyde Park, Cincinnati, OH D+38
- Angel Park Lindell, Las Vegas, NV D+11
- New Downtown, Los Angeles, CA D+54
- Point Place, Toledo, OH R+4
- Valley Station, Louisville, KY R+15
- South Englewood, Chicago, IL D+83
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.