This is part of our series looking at the demographics of North Carolina’s registered voters. Other stories include an in-depth look at North Carolina’s Republican voters and an in-depth look at North Carolina’s unaffiliated voters. This is an update of our story from Sept. 2023.
As of Sept. 28, 2024, North Carolina had 7.6 million registered voters. Of these, 2,413,469 million, or 32%, were registered Democrat.
Older voters are the most likely to register as a Democrat, reflective of the legacy of the “Solid South.” Thirty-seven percent of voters aged 66 and older are registered Democrats compared to 25% of 18-25 year-olds, 30% of 26-40 year-olds, and 31% of 41-65-year-olds. Thus, older adults comprise a larger share of the state’s Democratic voters than the overall electorate.
The share of Democrats in each age bracket, however, has dwindled since the 2020 election by around 3-5%, reflecting an increase in the number of unaffiliated voters.
Reflecting this age structure, North Carolina’s registered Democrats have the highest proportion of voters registered before 1990: 13% compared to 12% of Republicans and 5% of unaffiliated voters.
Democratic voters are more diverse than the statewide electorate. Black voters comprise the largest racial/ethnic group among Democratic voters: 46% versus 20% statewide. White voters are the second largest group among registered Democrats (39% vs. 63% statewide).
Black voters are significantly more likely to register Democrat (73%) compared to other racial/ethnic groups. Thirty-nine percent of American Indian voters, 36% of Hispanic voters, 29% of Asian voters, and 20% of white voters are registered Democrat in North Carolina.
Current North Carolina voters born in the District of Columbia (47%) are the group most likely to be registered Democrat, followed by South Carolina (38%), New York (35%), and North Carolina-born voters (34%).
More than 852,000 Democrat voters — 41% of the state’s Democrat voter population — were born in North Carolina. New York (122,000), other countries (73,000), Virginia (54,000), South Carolina (47,000), and Pennsylvania (44,000) were the next most common birthplaces outside of North Carolina. Another nearly thirty percent (518,000) of Democratic voters opted to not share their place of birth.
Most registered Democrats are born in the South (73%). The second largest concentration of Democrats were born in the Northeast (16%). Excluding North Carolina, registered Democrats in North Carolina are still most likely to be born in the South — 41% of registered Democrats that were not born in North Carolina were still born in the South.
Across North Carolina’s 100 counties, county shares of Democrat voters varies widely, reflecting differences in voter base composition by age, race/ethnicity, and place of birth. Reflecting the inverse of registration patterns for Republican voters, northeastern counties are most likely to register Democrat while many western counties are least likely to register Democrat.
Sixty-two percent of registered voters in Hertford County are registered Democrat, the highest proportion statewide (Hertford also has the second-lowest share of Republican voters). In contrast, Mitchell County has the lowest share of Democrat voters (9%) but the highest share of Republican voters.
Note: Analysis presented is of the 9/28/2024 voter registration file from NC’s State Board of Elections. Analysis is limited to individuals who are active, inactive, or temporary registered voters. Voters with a reported birth age of 116 years or older were excluded from the age analysis. Thus, those born before 1909 were excluded. Likewise, voters with registration dates prior to 1930 were excluded from the registration date analysis.
Need help understanding population change and its impacts on your community or business? Carolina Demography offers demographic research tailored to your needs.
Contact us today for a free initial consultation.
Contact UsCategories: Carolina Demographics, Elections & Voting
The Center for Women’s Health Research (CWHR) at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine released the 12th edition of our North Carolina Women’s Health Report Card on May 9, 2022. This document is a progress report on the…
Dr. Krista Perreira is a health economist who studies disparities in health, education, and economic well-being. In collaboration with the Urban Institute, she recently co-led a study funded by the Kate B. Reynolds Foundation to study barriers to access to…
Our material helped the NC Local News Lab Fund better understand and then prioritize their funding to better serve existing and future grant recipients in North Carolina. The North Carolina Local News Lab Fund was established in 2017 to strengthen…
Your support is critical to our mission of measuring, understanding, and predicting population change and its impact. Donate to Carolina Demography today.
