Petersburg City is a Democratic stronghold. About 85% of voters here vote Democratic and 15% Republican.
About 67% of adults in Petersburg City typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Petersburg City, ~57% vote Democratic, ~10% Republican, and ~33% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Petersburg City compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Petersburg City is the most Democratic-leaning.
Petersburg City runs about 65 points more Democratic than Virginia as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Petersburg City. The west side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+81) and the east side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+55), a spread of about 27 points.
Why Petersburg 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 Petersburg City, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 81% of residents in Petersburg City live in densely developed areas, about 44 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 49% of adults in Petersburg City have never been married, in the top fraction of counties.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Petersburg City, VA sits in the top tenth 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 Petersburg City looks the way it does
Turnout in Petersburg City sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Colonial Heights City, VA R+19
- Prince George County, VA R+2
- Hopewell City, VA D+23
- Dinwiddie County, VA R+16
- Chesterfield County, VA D+12
- Sussex County, VA Even
- Charles City County, VA D+8
- Richmond City, VA D+65
- New Kent County, VA R+28
- Henrico County, VA D+31
Counties with Similar Populations
- Lincoln County, OK R+64
- Lumpkin County, GA R+46
- Marion County, IA R+34
- Accomack County, VA R+16
- Daviess County, IN R+59
- Lee County, IA R+27
- Botetourt County, VA R+45
- Fulton County, IL R+31
- Caroline County, MD R+34
- Morton County, ND R+49
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.