Wilkes County leans slightly Republican by roughly 12 points: about 44% of voters vote Democratic and 56% Republican.
About 69% of adults in Wilkes County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Wilkes County, ~30% vote Democratic, ~39% Republican, and ~31% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Wilkes County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Wilkes County leans more Republican than 6 of 22 neighbors.
Wilkes County runs about 11 points more Republican than Georgia as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Wilkes County. The west side runs the most Democratic (D+23) and the east side runs the most Republican (R+50), a spread of about 73 points.
Why Wilkes 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 Wilkes County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 13% of residents in Wilkes County live in densely developed areas, about 14 points below the Georgia average of 26%. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Wilkes County sits in the bottom quarter (about 17%, below 78% of counties).
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; Wilkes County, GA sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Wilkes County looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Wilkes County is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Taliaferro County, GA D+16
- Lincoln County, GA R+37
- Warren County, GA D+15
- Oglethorpe County, GA R+52
- McDuffie County, GA R+14
- Elbert County, GA R+35
- McCormick County, SC R+5
- Greene County, GA R+14
- Madison County, GA R+55
- Glascock County, GA R+80
Counties with Similar Populations
- Chattahoochee County, GA R+14
- Greenlee County, AZ R+45
- Brewster County, TX R+12
- Linn County, KS R+61
- Iron County, MO R+60
- Humboldt County, IA R+43
- Benewah County, ID R+60
- Yellow Medicine County, MN R+47
- McCormick County, SC R+5
- Brown County, KS R+42
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Georgia Elections Division, 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.