Washington County leans slightly Democratic by roughly 6 points: about 53% of voters vote Democratic and 47% Republican.
About 77% of adults in Washington County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Washington County, ~41% vote Democratic, ~36% Republican, and ~23% 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 Democratic than 9 of 12 neighbors.
Washington County runs about 10 points more Democratic than North Carolina as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Washington County. The west side runs the most Democratic (D+31) and the southeast side runs the most Republican (R+33), a spread of about 65 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.
Areas with many never-married adults vote Democratic. About 33% of adults in Washington County have never been married, above 78% of counties.
Cholesterol-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high cholesterol-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Washington County, NC sits in the top tenth 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
- Chowan County, NC R+12
- Tyrrell County, NC R+12
- Bertie County, NC D+19
- Martin County, NC R+4
- Perquimans County, NC R+34
- Beaufort County, NC R+24
- Pasquotank County, NC Even
- Hyde County, NC R+25
- Hertford County, NC D+25
- Gates County, NC R+29
Counties with Similar Populations
- Candler County, GA R+40
- DeKalb County, MO R+57
- Grant County, WV R+74
- McIntosh County, GA R+24
- North Slope Borough, AK D+12
- Wayne County, MO R+68
- Lake County, SD R+38
- Noble County, OK R+54
- Washita County, OK R+74
- St. Helena Parish, LA D+7
All Local Stats
Home Services
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.