South is a Democratic stronghold. About 85% of voters here vote Democratic and 15% Republican.
About 66% of adults in South typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in South, ~56% vote Democratic, ~10% Republican, and ~34% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How South compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, South is the most Democratic-leaning.
South runs about 74 points more Democratic than North Carolina as a whole. North Carolina leans Republican overall, while South is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within South. The north side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+75) and the southeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+53), a spread of about 22 points.
Why South leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per neighborhood to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for South, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
South votes against the grain of North Carolina. North Carolina leans Republican overall, while South runs about 74 points more Democratic. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 48% of adults in South have never been married, above 78% of neighborhoods.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; South, Raleigh, NC sits below the national average 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 South looks the way it does
Turnout in South 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 Neighborhoods
- South Central, Raleigh, NC D+69
- Southeast, Raleigh, NC D+65
- Central, Raleigh, NC D+65
- East Raleigh, Raleigh, NC D+64
- North Central, Raleigh, NC D+67
- Southwest Raleigh, Raleigh, NC D+47
- Mordecai, Raleigh, NC D+61
- Hillsborough, Raleigh, NC D+55
- Five Points, Raleigh, NC D+38
- Wade, Raleigh, NC D+44
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Arlanza, Riverside, CA D+15
- West Central, Pasadena, CA D+54
- Grand Crossing, Chicago, IL D+82
- Fort Totten-Upper Northeast, Washington, DC D+83
- Central, Boston, MA D+53
- Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, NY D+69
- Eldridge-West Oaks, Houston, TX D+34
- Historic Filipinotown, Los Angeles, CA D+44
- Weston Ranch, Stockton, CA D+24
- Northwest, Portland, OR D+77
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.