Rocky Mount leans heavily Republican by roughly 36 points: about 32% of voters vote Democratic and 68% Republican.
About 76% of adults in Rocky Mount typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Rocky Mount, ~24% vote Democratic, ~51% Republican, and ~25% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Rocky Mount compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Rocky Mount leans more Republican than 19 of 64 neighbors.
Rocky Mount runs about 42 points more Republican than Virginia as a whole. Virginia leans Democratic overall, while Rocky Mount is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Rocky Mount. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+55) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+26), a spread of about 29 points.
Why Rocky Mount 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 Rocky Mount, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rocky Mount votes against the grain of Virginia. Virginia leans Democratic overall, while Rocky Mount runs about 42 points more Republican. Dense places usually vote Democratic, but Rocky Mount runs against that pattern.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Rocky Mount, VA sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Rocky Mount looks the way it does
Turnout in Rocky Mount 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 Cities
- Redwood, VA R+60
- Glade Hill, VA R+50
- Sydnorsville, VA R+52
- Prilliman, VA R+56
- Wirtz, VA R+52
- Callaway, VA R+58
- Red Valley, VA R+57
- Boones Mill, VA R+48
- Ferrum, VA R+55
- Union Hall, VA R+31
Cities with Similar Populations
- Shively, KY D+53
- Kingston, TN R+59
- Dumas, TX R+33
- Goffstown, NH Even
- Chester, SC D+5
- Grafton, WI R+7
- New Carrollton, MD D+70
- Overland, MO D+24
- Morganville, NJ R+12
- Glen Carbon, IL D+3
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.