New Kent County leans Republican by roughly 28 points: about 36% of voters vote Democratic and 64% Republican.
About 88% of adults in New Kent County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in New Kent County, ~32% vote Democratic, ~56% Republican, and ~12% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How New Kent County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, New Kent County leans more Republican than 25 of 32 neighbors.
New Kent County runs about 34 points more Republican than Virginia as a whole. Virginia leans Democratic overall, while New Kent County is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within New Kent County. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+34) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+18), a spread of about 16 points.
Why New Kent 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 New Kent County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with many family households vote Republican. About 80% of households in New Kent County are family households, about 13 points above the U.S. average of 67%. New Kent 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; New Kent 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 New Kent County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. New Kent 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 72%, about 12 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 92% of households in New Kent County own their home, compared to around 70% in nearby counties. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 94% of adults in New Kent County have completed high school, above 82% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Charles City County, VA D+8
- King William County, VA R+38
- King and Queen County, VA R+28
- Hopewell City, VA D+23
- James City County, VA D+8
- Richmond City, VA D+65
- Williamsburg City, VA D+43
- Prince George County, VA R+2
- Hanover County, VA R+21
- Colonial Heights City, VA R+19
Counties with Similar Populations
- Poinsett County, AR R+56
- Osceola County, MI R+46
- Hopewell City, VA D+23
- Vilas County, WI R+18
- Tattnall County, GA R+43
- Crawford County, MO R+61
- Clarke County, AL R+14
- Columbia County, AR R+18
- St. Francis County, AR D+18
- Hampshire County, WV R+62
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.