Whatcom County leans Democratic by roughly 22 points: about 61% of voters vote Democratic and 39% Republican.
About 77% of adults in Whatcom County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Whatcom County, ~47% vote Democratic, ~30% Republican, and ~23% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Whatcom County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Whatcom County leans more Democratic than 2 of 3 neighbors.
Whatcom County runs about 5 points more Democratic than Washington as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Whatcom County. The south side runs the most Democratic (D+63) and the northeast side runs the most Republican (R+28), a spread of about 91 points.
Why Whatcom 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 Whatcom County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 54% of residents in Whatcom County live in densely developed areas, about 17 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Whatcom County sits in the top quarter (about 39%, above 90% of counties). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 35% of adults in Whatcom County have never been married, above 83% of counties.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Whatcom County, WA sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in Whatcom County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Whatcom 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 65%, above 78% of counties. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 94% of adults in Whatcom County have completed high school, above 83% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Skagit County, WA D+4
- San Juan County, WA D+50
- Island County, WA D+10
- Jefferson County, WA D+45
- Snohomish County, WA D+10
- Clallam County, WA D+9
- Kitsap County, WA D+18
- King County, WA D+45
- Mason County, WA R+5
- Pierce County, WA D+12
Counties with Similar Populations
- Jefferson County, MO R+39
- Tuscaloosa County, AL R+9
- Richmond City, VA D+65
- Hinds County, MS D+52
- Cabarrus County, NC R+7
- Gaston County, NC R+18
- New Hanover County, NC D+5
- Mahoning County, OH Even
- Montgomery County, AL D+38
- Barnstable County, MA D+20
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Washington 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.