Virginia Beach City leans slightly Democratic by roughly 8 points: about 54% of voters vote Democratic and 46% Republican.
About 75% of adults in Virginia Beach City typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Virginia Beach City, ~40% vote Democratic, ~34% Republican, and ~26% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Virginia Beach City compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Virginia Beach City leans more Democratic than 14 of 21 neighbors.
Politically, Virginia Beach City sits close to the rest of Virginia.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Virginia Beach City. The northwest side runs the most Democratic (D+23) and the southeast side runs the most Republican (R+13), a spread of about 36 points.
Why Virginia Beach City 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 Virginia Beach City, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 84% of residents in Virginia Beach City live in densely developed areas, about 48 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Virginia Beach City sits in the top quarter (about 40%, above 92% of counties).
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Virginia Beach City, VA sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in Virginia Beach City looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Virginia Beach City is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 70%, about 10 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 95% of adults in Virginia Beach City have completed high school, above 89% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Norfolk City, VA D+44
- Chesapeake City, VA D+9
- Portsmouth City, VA D+41
- Hampton City, VA D+41
- Suffolk City, VA D+20
- Poquoson City, VA R+38
- Newport News City, VA D+38
- Currituck County, NC R+49
- Isle of Wight County, VA R+17
- Camden County, NC R+48
Counties with Similar Populations
- Burlington County, NJ D+16
- East Baton Rouge Parish, LA D+23
- York County, PA R+21
- Solano County, CA D+21
- Hampden County, MA D+14
- Santa Barbara County, CA D+26
- Seminole County, FL R+5
- Tulare County, CA R+12
- Onondaga County, NY D+21
- Jefferson Parish, LA D+4
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.