Norfolk City leans heavily Democratic by roughly 44 points: about 72% of voters vote Democratic and 28% Republican.
About 61% of adults in Norfolk City typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Norfolk City, ~44% vote Democratic, ~17% Republican, and ~39% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Norfolk City compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Norfolk City is the most Democratic-leaning.
Norfolk City runs about 38 points more Democratic than Virginia as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Norfolk City. The south side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+83) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+19), a spread of about 64 points.
Why Norfolk City 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 Norfolk City, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 90% of residents in Norfolk City live in densely developed areas, about 53 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Norfolk City sits in the top quarter (about 32%, above 80% of counties). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 44% of adults in Norfolk City have never been married, above 97% of counties.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Norfolk City, VA sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Norfolk City looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 56% of households in Norfolk City rent, about 31 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 21% of adults in Norfolk City report food insecurity, above 80% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Portsmouth City, VA D+41
- Chesapeake City, VA D+9
- Virginia Beach City, VA D+9
- Hampton City, VA D+41
- Poquoson City, VA R+38
- Suffolk City, VA D+20
- Newport News City, VA D+38
- Isle of Wight County, VA R+17
- York County, VA R+3
- Williamsburg City, VA D+43
Counties with Similar Populations
- Caddo Parish, LA D+18
- Union County, NC R+20
- Sussex County, DE R+12
- Arlington County, VA D+57
- Yavapai County, AZ R+22
- Saratoga County, NY Even
- Henry County, GA D+26
- Hays County, TX D+4
- Lafayette Parish, LA R+23
- Brazos County, TX D+6
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.