Washoe County is a true toss-up. About 51% of voters here vote Democratic and 49% Republican.
About 65% of adults in Washoe County typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Washoe County, ~33% vote Democratic, ~32% Republican, and ~35% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Washoe County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Washoe County sits roughly in the middle of the political spectrum, with 5 neighbors leaning further in the place's direction and 0 leaning the other way.
Washoe County runs about 6 points more Democratic than Nevada as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Washoe County. The west side runs the most Democratic (D+9) and the northeast side runs the most Republican (R+19), a spread of about 27 points.
Why Washoe County leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Washoe County. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Washoe County, NV sits in the top tenth 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 Washoe County looks the way it does
Turnout in Washoe 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
- Storey County, NV R+40
- Carson City, NV R+11
- Lyon County, NV R+42
- Sierra County, CA R+19
- Douglas County, NV R+32
- Churchill County, NV R+44
- Alpine County, CA D+36
- Plumas County, CA R+23
- Nevada County, CA D+11
- Lassen County, CA R+37
Counties with Similar Populations
- Sonoma County, CA D+42
- Prince William County, VA D+21
- Polk County, IA D+12
- Knox County, TN R+13
- Ada County, ID R+8
- Richmond County, NY R+21
- Onondaga County, NY D+21
- Lake County, IN D+14
- Tulare County, CA R+12
- Seminole County, FL R+5
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Nevada Secretary of State, 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.