Watauga County leans slightly Democratic by roughly 6 points: about 53% of voters vote Democratic and 47% Republican.
About 76% of adults in Watauga County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Watauga County, ~40% vote Democratic, ~36% Republican, and ~24% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Watauga County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Watauga County is the most Democratic-leaning.
Watauga County runs about 10 points more Democratic than North Carolina as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Watauga County. The south side runs the most Democratic (D+11) and the northwest side runs the most Republican (R+33), a spread of about 44 points.
Why Watauga 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 Watauga County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 49% of adults in Watauga County hold a bachelor's degree, about 20 points above the U.S. average of 28%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 46% of adults in Watauga County have never been married, above 98% of counties.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Watauga County, NC sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Watauga County looks the way it does
Turnout in Watauga 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
- Avery County, NC R+52
- Ashe County, NC R+47
- Johnson County, TN R+67
- Caldwell County, NC R+47
- Carter County, TN R+61
- Mitchell County, NC R+56
- Wilkes County, NC R+57
- Burke County, NC R+40
- Alexander County, NC R+56
- Washington County, VA R+52
Counties with Similar Populations
- Johnson County, MO R+35
- Pulaski County, MO R+36
- Washington County, VA R+52
- Saline County, KS R+26
- Dickson County, TN R+55
- Elko County, NV R+46
- Franklin County, VA R+46
- Jefferson County, TN R+61
- Coffee County, AL R+46
- Boone County, IL R+15
All Local Stats
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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.