James City County leans slightly Democratic by roughly 8 points: about 54% of voters vote Democratic and 46% Republican.
About 94% of adults in James City County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in James City County, ~51% vote Democratic, ~43% Republican, and ~6% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How James City County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, James City County leans more Democratic than 22 of 36 neighbors.
Politically, James City County sits close to the rest of Virginia.
Politics vary noticeably by city within James City County. The east side runs the most Democratic (D+26) and the northwest side runs the most Republican (R+5), a spread of about 31 points.
Why James City 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 James City County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 51% of adults in James City County hold a bachelor's degree, about 23 points above the U.S. average of 28%.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; James City County, VA sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in James City County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. James City County 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 73%, about 13 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 95% of adults in James City County have completed high school, above 93% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Williamsburg City, VA D+43
- Gloucester County, VA R+38
- Surry County, VA D+2
- York County, VA R+3
- Charles City County, VA D+8
- Newport News City, VA D+38
- New Kent County, VA R+28
- Poquoson City, VA R+38
- Mathews County, VA R+39
- Middlesex County, VA R+27
Counties with Similar Populations
- Forrest County, MS R+6
- Oconee County, SC R+54
- Sullivan County, NY R+11
- Wilson County, NC D+11
- Lynchburg City, VA D+10
- Augusta County, VA R+45
- Chelan County, WA R+12
- Clinton County, MI R+12
- Cole County, MO R+29
- Clallam County, WA D+9
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Virginia Department 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.