Rockingham County leans heavily Republican by roughly 32 points: about 34% of voters vote Democratic and 66% Republican.
About 74% of adults in Rockingham County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Rockingham County, ~25% vote Democratic, ~49% Republican, and ~26% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Rockingham County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Rockingham County leans more Republican than 9 of 17 neighbors.
Rockingham County runs about 28 points more Republican than North Carolina as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Rockingham County. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+59) and the southeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+5), a spread of about 53 points.
Why Rockingham County 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 Rockingham County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with low college attainment vote Republican. About 17% of adults in Rockingham County hold a bachelor's degree, about 10 points below the North Carolina average of 27%.
Cholesterol-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high cholesterol-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Rockingham County, NC sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Cholesterol screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in Rockingham County looks the way it does
Turnout in Rockingham County 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
- Martinsville City, VA D+22
- Henry County, VA R+31
- Caswell County, NC R+23
- Guilford County, NC D+30
- Danville City, VA D+32
- Stokes County, NC R+57
- Alamance County, NC R+4
- Pittsylvania County, VA R+39
- Patrick County, VA R+58
- Forsyth County, NC D+18
Counties with Similar Populations
- St. Clair County, AL R+65
- Grafton County, NH D+18
- Wayne County, NY R+23
- Victoria County, TX R+28
- Frederick County, VA R+25
- Ozaukee County, WI R+7
- Mendocino County, CA D+23
- Liberty County, TX R+50
- Northumberland County, PA R+39
- Nassau County, FL R+47
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.