Kinston leans Democratic by roughly 16 points: about 58% of voters vote Democratic and 42% Republican.
About 74% of adults in Kinston typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Kinston, ~43% vote Democratic, ~31% Republican, and ~26% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Kinston compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Kinston leans more Democratic than 59 of 60 neighbors.
Kinston runs about 19 points more Democratic than North Carolina as a whole. North Carolina leans Republican overall, while Kinston is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Kinston. The east side runs the most Democratic (D+71) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (R+34), a spread of about 106 points.
Why Kinston 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 Kinston, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Density combined with diversity predicts Democratic voting. Non-Hispanic white share in Kinston is about 41%, about 31 points below the U.S. average of 72%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 38% of adults in Kinston have never been married, above 92% of cities. Kinston runs against the grain of North Carolina, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Kinston, NC sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in Kinston looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Kinston 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 Cities
- Georgetown, NC D+9
- Institute, NC R+33
- Fields, NC R+27
- Graingers, NC R+16
- Wise Forks, NC R+40
- Elm Grove, NC R+60
- Glenfield, NC R+6
- Shady Grove, NC R+34
- Hookerton, NC R+17
- Jenny Lind, NC R+18
Cities with Similar Populations
- Farmers Branch, TX D+14
- Fairhope, AL R+49
- Newhall, CA D+7
- Windsor, CO R+18
- Gaffney, SC R+29
- Mchenry, IL R+10
- West Little River, FL D+25
- Daphne, AL R+40
- Randolph, MA D+49
- Inver Grove Heights, MN D+10
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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.