Nevada County leans slightly Democratic by roughly 10 points: about 55% of voters vote Democratic and 45% Republican.
About 84% of adults in Nevada County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Nevada County, ~46% vote Democratic, ~38% Republican, and ~16% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Nevada County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Nevada County is the most Democratic-leaning.
Nevada County runs about 9 points more Republican than California as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Nevada County. The east side runs the most Democratic (D+38) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (R+4), a spread of about 42 points.
Why Nevada 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 Nevada County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 42% of adults in Nevada County hold a bachelor's degree, about 13 points above the U.S. average of 28%.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Nevada County, CA 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 Nevada County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Nevada 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 68%, about 8 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 95% of adults in Nevada County have completed high school, above 89% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Placer County, CA R+11
- Yuba County, CA R+16
- El Dorado County, CA R+13
- Sierra County, CA R+19
- Sutter County, CA R+23
- Sacramento County, CA D+20
- Plumas County, CA R+23
- Butte County, CA R+3
- Amador County, CA R+35
- Yolo County, CA D+35
Counties with Similar Populations
- Allen County, OH R+32
- Columbiana County, OH R+45
- Whitfield County, GA R+38
- Highlands County, FL R+33
- Daviess County, KY R+31
- Etowah County, AL R+49
- Maury County, TN R+39
- Limestone County, AL R+45
- Wicomico County, MD D+6
- Cecil County, MD R+29
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from California Secretary of State, 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.