Third Ward leans heavily Democratic by roughly 48 points: about 74% of voters vote Democratic and 26% Republican.
About 59% of adults in Third Ward typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Third Ward, ~44% vote Democratic, ~15% Republican, and ~41% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Third Ward compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Third Ward leans more Democratic than 11 of 28 neighbors.
Third Ward runs about 50 points more Democratic than North Carolina as a whole. North Carolina leans Republican overall, while Third Ward is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Why Third Ward 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 Third Ward, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in Third Ward live in densely developed areas, about 64 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Third Ward sits in the top quarter (about 66%, above 87% of neighborhoods). Third Ward runs against the grain of North Carolina, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Third Ward, Charlotte, NC sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Third Ward looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 77% of households in Third Ward rent, about 52 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and Third Ward sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Fourth Ward, Charlotte, NC D+44
- Downtown Charlotte, Charlotte, NC D+32
- Dilworth, Charlotte, NC D+34
- Enderly Park, Charlotte, NC D+80
- Ashley Park, Charlotte, NC D+66
- Elizabeth, Charlotte, NC D+52
- Sedgefield, Charlotte, NC D+27
- Plaza Midwood, Charlotte, NC D+40
- Thomasboro-Hoskins, Charlotte, NC D+75
- North Charlotte, Charlotte, NC D+55
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Rogers Park, Anchorage, AK D+29
- Garden View, Detroit, MI D+80
- Leawood, Columbus, OH D+59
- East Hillside, Duluth, MN D+55
- Aspen, Davis, CA D+71
- Lake Shore, New Orleans, LA D+3
- Crescent Park, Palo Alto, CA D+68
- Hawaiian Acres, Keaau, HI Even
- Lake, Oceanside, CA D+3
- Catonsville Heights, Catonsville, MD D+45
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.