Washington County is a Republican stronghold. About 24% of voters here vote Democratic and 76% Republican.
About 79% of adults in Washington County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Washington County, ~19% vote Democratic, ~60% Republican, and ~21% 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 6 of 18 neighbors.
Washington County runs about 57 points more Republican than Virginia as a whole. Virginia 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+70) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+52), a spread of about 18 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 against the grain of Virginia. Virginia leans Democratic overall, while Washington County runs about 57 points more Republican. Car-dependent areas vote Republican, and about 82% of residents in Washington County drive to work alone, above 85% of counties.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; Washington County, VA sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Washington County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Washington County 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 66%, about 6 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Bristol City, VA R+32
- Russell County, VA R+68
- Johnson County, TN R+67
- Smyth County, VA R+57
- Sullivan County, TN R+50
- Carter County, TN R+61
- Ashe County, NC R+47
- Scott County, VA R+70
- Washington County, TN R+37
- Watauga County, NC D+6
Counties with Similar Populations
- Pulaski County, MO R+36
- Johnson County, MO R+35
- Watauga County, NC D+6
- Elko County, NV R+46
- Saline County, KS R+26
- Dickson County, TN R+55
- Coffee County, AL R+46
- Boone County, IL R+15
- Roane County, TN R+57
- Franklin County, VA R+46
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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.