McDowell County, North Carolina
AkashicMcDowell County, NCTrumpR+49.1
2024 precinct map of McDowell CountyPrecinct-level 2024 presidential results for McDowell County, with each precinct boundary colored by Democratic-vs-Republican margin, and gold where an independent or third-party candidate carried the precinct.
How it voted
Share of the 2024 vote
| Donald Trump ✓Republican | 74.1% | 17,520 |
|---|---|---|
| Kamala HarrisDemocratic | 25.0% | 5,911 |
| Chase OliverLibertarian | 0.3% | 75 |
Harris +50Trump +50
17 precincts · 23,655 votes. Hover any precinct for its result.
The precinct map shows the 2024 presidential vote; the timeline scrubs the county’s overall result across 1892–2024.
38 presidential elections
| Year | Won | Democratic | Republican | Other | Margin | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 25.0%Harris5,911 | 74.1%Trump17,520 | 0.3%Oliver75 | 23,655 | ||
| R | 25.4%Biden5,832 | 73.4%Trump16,883 | 0.8%Jorgensen184 | 23,003 | ||
| R | 23.5%Clinton4,667 | 73.3%Trump14,568 | 2.0%Johnson396 | 19,875 | ||
| R | 33.3%Obama6,031 | 65.1%Romney11,775 | 1.6%Johnson293 | 18,099 | ||
| R | 35.7%Obama6,571 | 62.7%McCain11,534 | 1.5%Barr281 | 18,386 | ||
| R | 33.3%Kerry5,330 | 66.2%Bush10,590 | 0.5%Badnarik82 | 16,002 | ||
| R | 33.9%Gore4,747 | 65.0%Bush9,109 | 1.1% | 14,011 | ||
| R | 37.1%Clinton4,553 | 52.2%Dole6,407 | 10.4%Perot1,275 | 12,278 | ||
| R | 39.9%Clinton5,309 | 45.8%Bush6,090 | 14.1%Perot1,881 | 13,295 | ||
| R | 40.5%Dukakis4,449 | 59.3%Bush6,526 | 0.2%Fulani22 | 10,997 | ||
| R | 34.7%Mondale4,076 | 65.1%Reagan7,639 | 0.2%Bergland21 | 11,736 | ||
| R | 44.3%Carter4,703 | 53.6%Reagan5,680 | 2.1%Anderson223 | 10,606 | ||
| D | 58.1%Carter6,246 | 41.4%Ford4,450 | 0.5%Anderson50 | 10,746 | ||
| R | 25.8%McGovern2,348 | 72.1%Nixon6,570 | 2.2%Schmitz196 | 9,114 | ||
| R | 24.7%Humphrey2,543 | 46.0%Nixon4,740 | 29.3%Wallace3,018 | 10,301 | ||
| D | 60.2%Johnson6,314 | 39.8%Goldwater4,174 | 0.0% | 10,488 | ||
| R | 44.3%Kennedy4,889 | 55.7%Nixon6,148 | 0.0% | 11,037 | ||
| R | 44.5%Stevenson4,392 | 55.5%Eisenhower5,468 | 0.0% | 9,860 | ||
| D | 50.2%Stevenson4,755 | 49.8%Eisenhower4,710 | 0.0% | 9,465 | ||
| D | 53.2%Truman3,805 | 37.9%Dewey2,709 | 8.9%Thurmond638 | 7,152 | ||
| D | 64.0%Roosevelt4,008 | 36.0%Dewey2,258 | 0.0% | 6,266 | ||
| D | 70.5%Roosevelt5,290 | 29.5%Willkie2,216 | 0.0% | 7,506 | ||
| D | 63.2%Roosevelt5,352 | 36.8%Landon3,114 | 0.0% | 8,466 | ||
| D | 65.7%Roosevelt4,810 | 33.8%Hoover2,478 | 0.5%Thomas35 | 7,323 | ||
| D | 50.1%Smith3,430 | 49.9%Hoover3,423 | 0.0% | 6,853 | ||
| D | 53.6%Davis3,023 | 45.9%Coolidge2,590 | 0.4%La Follette25 | 5,638 | ||
| D | 52.3%Cox2,809 | 47.7%Harding2,561 | 0.0% | 5,370 | ||
| D | 51.1%Wilson1,274 | 48.8%Hughes1,218 | 0.1%Benson2 | 2,494 | ||
| D | 47.9%Wilson1,037 | 15.9%Taft343 | 36.2%Roosevelt783 | 2,163 | ||
| R | 48.6%Bryan950 | 51.2%Taft1,000 | 0.2%Debs4 | 1,954 | ||
| R | 46.7%Parker836 | 52.0%Roosevelt931 | 1.4%Debs25 | 1,792 | ||
| R | 49.3%Bryan1,014 | 49.8%McKinley1,024 | 0.8%Woolley17 | 2,055 | ||
| D | 55.8%Bryan1,204 | 44.0%McKinley950 | 0.2%Palmer4 | 2,158 | ||
| D | 56.7%Cleveland1,055 | 39.0%Harrison727 | 4.3%Weaver80 | 1,862 | ||
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presidential history
Presidential margin, 1892–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
| Year | Margin (D minus R) |
|---|---|
| 1892 | +17.6% |
| 1896 | +11.8% |
| 1900 | −0.5% |
| 1904 | −5.3% |
| 1908 | −2.6% |
| 1912 | +32.1% |
| 1916 | +2.2% |
| 1920 | +4.6% |
| 1924 | +7.7% |
| 1928 | +0.1% |
| 1932 | +31.8% |
| 1936 | +26.4% |
| 1940 | +41.0% |
| 1944 | +27.9% |
| 1948 | +15.3% |
| 1952 | +0.5% |
| 1956 | −10.9% |
| 1960 | −11.4% |
| 1964 | +20.4% |
| 1968 | −21.3% |
| 1972 | −46.3% |
| 1976 | +16.7% |
| 1980 | −9.2% |
| 1984 | −30.4% |
| 1988 | −18.9% |
| 1992 | −5.9% |
| 1996 | −15.1% |
| 2000 | −31.1% |
| 2004 | −32.9% |
| 2008 | −27.0% |
| 2012 | −31.7% |
| 2016 | −49.8% |
| 2020 | −48.0% |
| 2024 | −49.1% |
DemocraticRepublican
voter registration
Registered voters
By party of registration, over time
DemocraticRepublicanUnaffiliatedOther parties
| Year | Total registered | Democratic | Republican | Unaffiliated | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 29,280 | 11,868 | 10,376 | 7,030 | 6 |
| 2012 | 28,936 | 10,297 | 10,353 | 8,226 | 60 |
| 2016 | 29,466 | 8,820 | 11,036 | 9,490 | 120 |
| 2020 | 29,932 | 6,844 | 12,673 | 10,216 | 199 |
| 2022 | 29,866 | 5,992 | 12,861 | 10,840 | 173 |
| 2024 | 31,509 | 5,423 | 14,037 | 11,778 | 271 |
Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections
Nestled in the Blue Ridge foothills west of Morganton, McDowell County delivered a 49-point Republican presidential margin in 2024, reflecting the broader rural Appalachian shift that has reshaped western North Carolina's electoral map over the past two decades.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 41.0 points in 1940 and a Republican high of 49.8 points in 2016. Between 2020 and 2024 the county moved 1.0 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 49.1 points.
A population of 44,817, a 86% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $57,168 describe the county. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Surry County and Tripp County.
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All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.
McDowell County, North Carolina. Akashic. https://akashic.app/county/37111/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
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Frequently asked questions
How did McDowell County, North Carolina vote in 2024?
In 2024, McDowell County, North Carolina voted Republican by 49.1 points (R+49.1), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 23,655 votes cast, 5,911 went Democratic and 17,520 went Republican.
When did McDowell County, North Carolina last vote Democratic?
The most recent presidential election in which McDowell County, North Carolina voted Democratic was 1976.
How many people live in McDowell County, North Carolina?
McDowell County, North Carolina has a population of 44,817 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in McDowell County, North Carolina?
Median household income in McDowell County, North Carolina is $57,168 — below the national median of $80,734. The North Carolina state median is $72,388.
What is the political history of McDowell County, North Carolina?
Akashic tracks 38 presidential elections in McDowell County, North Carolina from 1876 to 2024. Of those, 15 went Democratic and 19 went Republican.