| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | D | 19,435 | 3,428 | 23,434 | |
| 2020 | D | 20,696 | 3,094 | 24,205 | |
| 2016 | D | 17,901 | 2,960 | 22,467 | |
| 2012 | D | 16,510 | 4,844 | 21,797 | |
| 2008 | D | 15,705 | 4,078 | 20,044 | |
| 2004 | D | 11,088 | 4,172 | 15,450 | |
| 2000 | D | 7,762 | 4,034 | 13,224 | |
| 1996 | D | 7,916 | 4,091 | 12,789 | |
| 1992 | D | 8,685 | 4,705 | 14,899 | |
| 1988 | D | 7,671 | 5,817 | 13,652 | |
| 1984 | D | 7,317 | 6,947 | 14,306 | |
| 1980 | D | 6,866 | 5,907 | 14,562 | |
| 1976 | D | 6,846 | 6,673 | 13,869 | |
| 1972 | R | 1,157 | 2,665 | 3,893 | |
| 1968 | R | 3,831 | 5,601 | 11,335 | |
| 1964 | D | 2,429 | 1,289 | 3,723 | |
| 1960 | R | 2,894 | 3,651 | 6,628 | |
| 1956 | R | 1,783 | 3,746 | 6,023 | |
| 1952 | R | 2,174 | 3,292 | 5,474 | |
| 1948 | D | 1,527 | 1,419 | 3,367 | |
| 1944 | D | 2,188 | 1,055 | 3,255 | |
| 1940 | D | 1,759 | 743 | 2,515 | |
| 1936 | D | 1,393 | 335 | 1,742 | |
| 1932 | D | 1,287 | 409 | 1,704 | |
| 1928 | D | 992 | 708 | 1,700 | |
| 1924 | D | 831 | 218 | 1,160 | |
| 1920 | D | 1,041 | 351 | 1,407 | |
| 1916 | D | 618 | 117 | 739 | |
| 1912 | D | 454 | 39 | 522 | |
| 1908 | D | 428 | 82 | 518 | |
| 1904 | D | 391 | 71 | 468 | |
| 1900 | D | 731 | 361 | 1,105 | |
| 1896 | D | 801 | 371 | 1,190 | |
| 1892 | D | 889 | 296 | 1,195 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Home to the University of Virginia, Charlottesville delivers Democratic margins exceeding 68 points — among the widest of any jurisdiction in the state — driven by a dense concentration of students, faculty, and highly educated professional residents.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Charlottesville city peaked at eighty points in 1912; it narrowed steadily over the late twentieth century. The 1976 election delivered the county to the Republican party for the first time in many years, by a margin of one points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Charlottesville city's median household income of $74,824 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 20% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of King County and Richmond city.