Poplar Branch leans heavily Republican by roughly 48 points: about 26% of voters vote Democratic and 74% Republican.
About 85% of adults in Poplar Branch typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Poplar Branch, ~22% vote Democratic, ~63% Republican, and ~15% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Poplar Branch compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Poplar Branch leans more Republican than 15 of 28 neighbors.
Poplar Branch runs about 45 points more Republican than North Carolina as a whole.
Why Poplar Branch leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per city to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Poplar Branch, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 95% of residents in Poplar Branch drive to work alone, about 21 points above the U.S. average of 74%.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Poplar Branch, NC sits above the national average on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in Poplar Branch looks the way it does
Turnout in Poplar Branch sits close to the national pattern. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Grandy, NC R+50
- Aydlett, NC R+51
- Jarvisburg, NC R+51
- Coinjock, NC R+37
- Corolla, NC R+24
- Shiloh, NC R+54
- Barco, NC R+36
- Duck, NC Even
- Powells Point, NC R+41
- Riddle, NC R+50
Cities with Similar Populations
- Fort Mitchell, VA R+26
- Corwith, IA R+52
- Trent Mill, VA R+18
- Merwin, MO R+68
- Crown Point Center, NY R+37
- Castana, IA R+49
- Haywood, OK R+69
- Klingville, MI R+15
- Okreek, SD D+27
- Hoehne, CO R+49
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.