Southwest Raleigh leans heavily Democratic by roughly 48 points: about 74% of voters vote Democratic and 26% Republican.
About 58% of adults in Southwest Raleigh typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Southwest Raleigh, ~43% vote Democratic, ~15% Republican, and ~42% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Southwest Raleigh compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Southwest Raleigh leans more Democratic than 4 of 11 neighbors.
Southwest Raleigh runs about 50 points more Democratic than North Carolina as a whole. North Carolina leans Republican overall, while Southwest Raleigh is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Southwest Raleigh. The northeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+57) and the southwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+23), a spread of about 34 points.
Why Southwest Raleigh 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 Southwest Raleigh, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Southwest Raleigh votes against the grain of North Carolina. North Carolina leans Republican overall, while Southwest Raleigh runs about 50 points more Democratic. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 62% of adults in Southwest Raleigh have never been married, above 94% of neighborhoods.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Southwest Raleigh, Raleigh, NC sits above the national average on this measure.
Why turnout in Southwest Raleigh looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 67% of households in Southwest Raleigh rent, about 42 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and Southwest Raleigh sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Central, Raleigh, NC D+65
- Hillsborough, Raleigh, NC D+55
- South Central, Raleigh, NC D+69
- West, Raleigh, NC D+45
- Wade, Raleigh, NC D+44
- North Central, Raleigh, NC D+67
- Mordecai, Raleigh, NC D+61
- Five Points, Raleigh, NC D+38
- South, Raleigh, NC D+71
- East Raleigh, Raleigh, NC D+64
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Dorchester Heights, Boston, MA D+51
- Loma Portal, San Diego, CA D+38
- Lake Murray, San Diego, CA D+20
- Northwest Omaha, Omaha, NE D+10
- Olympia Heights, Miami, FL R+40
- Greenbrier West, Chesapeake, VA D+25
- University, Riverside, CA D+29
- Washington Heights, Chicago, IL D+85
- Northampton, Hampton, VA D+35
- Hermosa, Chicago, IL D+44
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.