Tazewell County is a Republican stronghold. About 21% of voters here vote Democratic and 79% Republican.
About 73% of adults in Tazewell County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Tazewell County, ~15% vote Democratic, ~58% Republican, and ~27% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Tazewell County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Tazewell County leans more Republican than 9 of 16 neighbors.
Tazewell County runs about 64 points more Republican than Virginia as a whole. Virginia leans Democratic overall, while Tazewell County is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Tazewell County. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+73) and the northeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+51), a spread of about 22 points.
Why Tazewell 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 Tazewell County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Tazewell County votes against the grain of Virginia. Virginia leans Democratic overall, while Tazewell County runs about 64 points more Republican. A high white share with below-average college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Tazewell County fits that profile on both counts.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; Tazewell County, VA 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 Tazewell County looks the way it does
Turnout in Tazewell 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
- McDowell County, WV R+56
- Smyth County, VA R+57
- Bland County, VA R+68
- Mercer County, WV R+50
- Buchanan County, VA R+67
- Wythe County, VA R+57
- Russell County, VA R+68
- Wyoming County, WV R+73
- Washington County, VA R+52
- Grayson County, VA R+59
Counties with Similar Populations
- McKean County, PA R+43
- LaGrange County, IN R+63
- Delaware County, OK R+58
- Amador County, CA R+35
- Fayette County, WV R+46
- Ottawa County, OH R+30
- Rio Arriba County, NM D+20
- Orleans County, NY R+32
- Wyoming County, NY R+39
- Pike County, MS D+8
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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.