Mathews County leans heavily Republican by roughly 38 points: about 31% of voters vote Democratic and 69% Republican.
About 87% of adults in Mathews County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Mathews County, ~27% vote Democratic, ~60% Republican, and ~13% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Mathews County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Mathews County is the most Republican-leaning.
Mathews County runs about 45 points more Republican than Virginia as a whole. Virginia leans Democratic overall, while Mathews County is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Mathews County. The east side is the most Republican-leaning (R+45) and the southwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+30), a spread of about 15 points.
Why Mathews 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 Mathews County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 7% of residents in Mathews County live in densely developed areas, about 19 points below the Virginia average of 26%. Mathews County runs against the grain of Virginia, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Mathews County, VA sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in Mathews County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Mathews 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 70%, about 10 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 84% of households in Mathews County own their home, above 94% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Gloucester County, VA R+38
- Middlesex County, VA R+27
- Lancaster County, VA R+9
- York County, VA R+3
- Poquoson City, VA R+38
- Williamsburg City, VA D+43
- Northampton County, VA Even
- James City County, VA D+8
- Newport News City, VA D+38
- Hampton City, VA D+41
Counties with Similar Populations
- Clearwater County, MN R+46
- Ozark County, MO R+67
- Perry County, AL D+41
- Kiowa County, OK R+61
- Archer County, TX R+76
- Carroll County, MO R+61
- Montgomery County, AR R+67
- Wilkinson County, MS D+38
- Trimble County, KY R+57
- Jack County, TX R+74
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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.