Old West Durham is a Democratic stronghold. About 86% of voters here vote Democratic and 14% Republican.
About 59% of adults in Old West Durham typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Old West Durham, ~51% vote Democratic, ~8% Republican, and ~41% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Old West Durham compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Old West Durham leans more Democratic than 1 of 4 neighbors.
Old West Durham runs about 76 points more Democratic than North Carolina as a whole. North Carolina leans Republican overall, while Old West Durham is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Old West Durham. The north side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+81) and the east side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+67), a spread of about 14 points.
Why Old West Durham leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per neighborhood to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Old West Durham, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Old West Durham votes against the grain of North Carolina. North Carolina leans Republican overall, while Old West Durham runs about 76 points more Democratic. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Old West Durham sits in the top quarter (about 64%, above 85% of neighborhoods). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 71% of adults in Old West Durham have never been married, above 98% of neighborhoods.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Old West Durham, Durham, 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 Old West Durham looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 88% of households in Old West Durham rent, about 63 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and Old West Durham sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Trinity Park, Durham, NC D+86
- Downtown Durham, Durham, NC D+74
- East Durham, Durham, NC D+74
- North Garrett Road, Durham, NC D+58
- Northeast Durham, Durham, NC D+51
- University of NC at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC D+72
- Downtown Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC D+68
- Northwest Raleigh, Raleigh, NC D+34
- North, Raleigh, NC D+27
- Glenwood, Raleigh, NC D+19
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Cooley Ranch, Colton, CA D+23
- Becton Park, Charlotte, NC D+33
- Mountain Creek, Pflugerville, TX D+24
- North Image, Vancouver, WA D+6
- Barrington Park, Taylorsville, UT D+15
- Mount Lookout, Cincinnati, OH D+33
- West Urbana, Urbana, IL D+72
- Leschi, Seattle, WA D+78
- Meadowbrook, Augusta, GA D+77
- Kendrick, Waco, TX D+2
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.