Waterlily is a Republican stronghold. About 24% of voters here vote Democratic and 76% Republican.
About 69% of adults in Waterlily typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Waterlily, ~16% vote Democratic, ~52% Republican, and ~32% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Waterlily compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Waterlily leans more Republican than 21 of 27 neighbors.
Waterlily runs about 48 points more Republican than North Carolina as a whole.
Why Waterlily leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per city to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Waterlily, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 3% of residents in Waterlily live in densely developed areas, about 24 points below the North Carolina average of 27%.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; Waterlily, NC sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in Waterlily looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 90% of households in Waterlily own their home, about 16 points above the North Carolina average of 74%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Coinjock, NC R+37
- Barco, NC R+36
- Corolla, NC R+24
- Maple, NC R+53
- Currituck, NC R+57
- Aydlett, NC R+51
- Knotts Island, NC R+61
- Sligo, NC R+51
- Shawboro, NC R+50
- Poplar Branch, NC R+49
Cities with Similar Populations
- Corona, NM R+54
- Klau, CA R+19
- Carrabelle Beach, FL R+71
- Lake Summerset, IL R+40
- Bingley, NY R+10
- Norcatur, KS R+75
- Lamourie, LA R+71
- Kensal, ND R+56
- Gluek, MN R+56
- Lavaca, AL Even
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.