| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | D | 5,239 | 3,905 | 9,215 | |
| 2020 | D | 6,069 | 3,989 | 10,110 | |
| 2016 | D | 6,144 | 3,582 | 9,848 | |
| 2012 | D | 7,232 | 3,483 | 10,756 | |
| 2008 | D | 6,903 | 3,671 | 10,618 | |
| 2004 | D | 5,584 | 3,176 | 8,770 | |
| 2000 | R | 2,667 | 5,513 | 8,200 | |
| 1996 | D | 5,207 | 1,881 | 7,499 | |
| 1992 | D | 5,195 | 1,845 | 7,967 | |
| 1988 | D | 4,599 | 2,415 | 7,033 | |
| 1984 | D | 5,094 | 3,198 | 8,330 | |
| 1980 | D | 4,933 | 1,847 | 6,861 | |
| 1976 | D | 5,118 | 1,238 | 6,379 | |
| 1972 | D | 3,233 | 2,997 | 6,282 | |
| 1968 | D | 4,072 | 860 | 7,918 | |
| 1964 | D | 5,046 | 1,187 | 6,233 | |
| 1960 | D | 4,756 | 678 | 5,434 | |
| 1956 | D | 4,242 | 747 | 4,989 | |
| 1952 | D | 4,334 | 583 | 4,917 | |
| 1948 | D | 3,591 | 179 | 3,896 | |
| 1944 | D | 3,470 | 172 | 3,642 | |
| 1940 | D | 3,826 | 105 | 3,931 | |
| 1936 | D | 3,785 | 109 | 3,894 | |
| 1932 | D | 3,243 | 147 | 3,397 | |
| 1928 | D | 1,723 | 456 | 2,179 | |
| 1924 | D | 1,662 | 144 | 1,823 | |
| 1920 | D | 2,305 | 165 | 2,470 | |
| 1916 | D | 1,518 | 45 | 1,563 | |
| 1912 | D | 1,625 | 57 | 1,735 | |
| 1908 | D | 1,726 | 186 | 1,912 | |
| 1904 | D | 1,509 | 116 | 1,625 | |
| 1900 | D | 1,992 | 1,587 | 3,579 | |
| 1896 | R | 1,906 | 2,310 | 4,220 | |
| 1892 | D | 1,365 | 1,306 | 3,173 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Northampton is one of North Carolina's majority-Black counties, with a population that has declined steadily for decades as agriculture mechanized and younger residents relocated to metro areas. That demographic profile has consistently produced Democratic margins above 10 points in recent presidential cycles.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Northampton County peaked at ninety-five points in 1940; it narrowed steadily over the late twentieth century. The 2004 election delivered the county to the Republican party for the first time in many years, by a margin of twenty-seven points. By 2024, the margin had settled into deep Republican territory.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Northampton County's median household income of $50,086 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 21% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Bertie County and Warren County.