Virginia Beach leans Democratic by roughly 18 points: about 59% of voters vote Democratic and 41% Republican.
About 74% of adults in the Virginia Beach area typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in the Virginia Beach area, ~44% vote Democratic, ~30% Republican, and ~26% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Virginia Beach compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Virginia Beach leans more Democratic than 9 of 12 neighbors.
Virginia Beach runs about 12 points more Democratic than Virginia as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Virginia Beach. The north side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+30) and the southeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (Even), a spread of about 29 points.
Why Virginia Beach 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 Virginia Beach, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 73% of residents in the Virginia Beach area live in densely developed areas, about 37 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Virginia Beach sits in the top quarter (about 35%, above 82% of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 34% of adults in the Virginia Beach area have never been married, above 85% of cities.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Virginia Beach, VA sits in the top tenth 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 Virginia Beach looks the way it does
Turnout in the Virginia Beach area 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 Cities
- Norfolk, VA D+43
- Chesapeake, VA D+9
- Dawley Corners, VA R+48
- Portsmouth, VA D+41
- Fort Monroe, VA D+13
- Hampton, VA D+39
- Knotts Island, NC R+61
- Moyock, NC R+50
- Snowden, NC R+49
Cities with Similar Populations
- Manhattan, NY D+62
- Providence, RI D+11
- Jacksonville, FL R+8
- Milwaukee, WI D+18
- San Jose, CA D+31
- Nashville, TN R+13
- Bronx, NY D+43
- Indianapolis, IN Even
- Oklahoma City, OK R+10
- Columbus, OH D+8
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.