Wilkes County is a Republican stronghold. About 22% of voters here vote Democratic and 78% Republican.
About 76% of adults in Wilkes County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Wilkes County, ~17% vote Democratic, ~60% Republican, and ~23% 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 13 of 19 neighbors.
Wilkes County runs about 54 points more Republican than North Carolina as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Wilkes County. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+67) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+44), a spread of about 23 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.
Areas with many family households vote Republican. About 70% of households in Wilkes County are family households, above 77% of counties. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Wilkes County sits in the bottom quarter (about 17%, below 76% of counties).
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; Wilkes County, NC sits below the national average 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 Wilkes County looks the way it does
Turnout in Wilkes 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
- Alexander County, NC R+56
- Alleghany County, NC R+58
- Ashe County, NC R+47
- Yadkin County, NC R+61
- Caldwell County, NC R+47
- Watauga County, NC D+6
- Surry County, NC R+52
- Grayson County, VA R+59
- Catawba County, NC R+33
- Galax City, VA R+38
Counties with Similar Populations
- Harrison County, WV R+41
- Marquette County, MI Even
- Starr County, TX R+7
- Apache County, AZ D+30
- Tehama County, CA R+35
- Crow Wing County, MN R+29
- Sauk County, WI R+20
- Warren County, NY R+2
- Adams County, IL R+40
- Mason County, WA R+5
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.