Washington County leans Republican by roughly 18 points: about 41% of voters vote Democratic and 59% Republican.
About 70% of adults in Washington County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Washington County, ~29% vote Democratic, ~41% Republican, and ~30% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Washington County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Washington County leans more Republican than 4 of 14 neighbors.
Washington County runs about 47 points more Republican than Maryland as a whole. Maryland leans Democratic overall, while Washington County is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Washington County. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+46) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+6), a spread of about 40 points.
Why Washington 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 Washington County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Washington County votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 56%, modestly above the Maryland average of 43%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here. Washington County runs against the grain of Maryland, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Cholesterol-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high cholesterol-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Washington County, MD sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Cholesterol screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in Washington County looks the way it does
Turnout in Washington 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
- Berkeley County, WV R+33
- Franklin County, PA R+41
- Jefferson County, WV R+22
- Frederick County, MD D+10
- Morgan County, WV R+56
- Fulton County, PA R+70
- Adams County, PA R+35
- Clarke County, VA R+18
- Winchester City, VA D+12
- Frederick County, VA R+25
Counties with Similar Populations
- Monroe County, MI R+27
- Santa Fe County, NM D+45
- Canadian County, OK R+37
- Berrien County, MI Even
- Cumberland County, NJ D+7
- Citrus County, FL R+43
- Merrimack County, NH D+6
- Mesa County, CO R+20
- Franklin County, PA R+41
- Columbia County, GA R+21
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Maryland 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.