Richmond City is a Democratic stronghold. About 83% of voters here vote Democratic and 17% Republican.
About 66% of adults in Richmond City typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Richmond City, ~55% vote Democratic, ~11% Republican, and ~34% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Richmond City compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Richmond City leans more Democratic than 25 of 26 neighbors.
Richmond City runs about 60 points more Democratic than Virginia as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Richmond City. The northeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+83) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+42), a spread of about 41 points.
Why Richmond 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 Richmond City, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 94% of residents in Richmond City live in densely developed areas, about 58 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Richmond City sits in the top quarter (about 44%, above 94% of counties). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 52% of adults in Richmond City have never been married, in the top fraction of counties.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Richmond City, VA sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Richmond City looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Richmond City 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 62%, above 61% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Henrico County, VA D+31
- Chesterfield County, VA D+12
- Hanover County, VA R+21
- Colonial Heights City, VA R+19
- Hopewell City, VA D+23
- Powhatan County, VA R+38
- Charles City County, VA D+8
- Petersburg City, VA D+71
- Goochland County, VA R+21
- New Kent County, VA R+28
Counties with Similar Populations
- Jefferson County, MO R+39
- Whatcom County, WA D+23
- Tuscaloosa County, AL R+9
- Cabarrus County, NC R+7
- New Hanover County, NC D+5
- Hinds County, MS D+52
- Gaston County, NC R+18
- Mahoning County, OH Even
- Montgomery County, AL D+38
- Barnstable County, MA D+20
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.