Sussex leans Republican by roughly 20 points: about 40% of voters vote Democratic and 60% Republican.
About 63% of adults in Sussex typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Sussex, ~25% vote Democratic, ~38% Republican, and ~37% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Sussex compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Sussex leans more Republican than 24 of 52 neighbors.
Sussex runs about 26 points more Republican than Virginia as a whole. Virginia leans Democratic overall, while Sussex is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Sussex. The west side is the most Republican-leaning (R+22) and the northwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+11), a spread of about 11 points.
Why Sussex 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 Sussex, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 4% of residents in Sussex live in densely developed areas, about 22 points below the Virginia average of 26%. Sussex runs against the grain of Virginia, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; Sussex, VA sits in the bottom quarter nationally 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 Sussex looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Sussex is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Lumberton, VA R+24
- Homeville, VA R+31
- Yale, VA R+4
- Stony Creek, VA Even
- Littleton, VA R+34
- Carson, VA R+28
- Rowanta, VA R+31
- Waverly, VA D+5
- Reams, VA R+28
- Disputanta, VA R+30
Cities with Similar Populations
- Montgomery Creek, CA R+37
- Palos, VA R+61
- Laurel Mountain, PA R+34
- Palestine, OH R+69
- Paoli, WI D+26
- Lecta, AL R+91
- Laurel Lake, PA R+47
- Excelsior Estates, MO R+55
- West Chester, IA R+45
- Pennington, TX R+71
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.