New Hanover County, North Carolina
Latest: 2024
Competitive — 40 presidential elections on record
Race & ancestry
| Group | % |
|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 74.7% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(18) | 7.9% |
▶Black / African American(13) | 10.9% |
▶Asian(6) | 1.4% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(9) | 0.5% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(2) | 0.2% |
Multiracial / Other | 4.9% |
Religious adherence
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents |
|---|---|---|
| Evangelical Protestant | 18.4% | 36.0% |
| Catholic | 14.2% | 27.9% |
| Mainline Protestant | 10.2% | 20.1% |
| Black Protestant | 4.5% | 8.8% |
| Other | 3.3% | 6.5% |
| LDS (Mormon) | 0.7% | 1.3% |
| Orthodox Christian | 0.3% | 0.7% |
| Non-religious | 49.0% | — |
Presidential results
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Harris+0.6 |
| 2020 | Biden+2.1 |
| 2016 | Trump+3.9 |
| 2012 | Romney+4.5 |
| 2008 | McCain+1.4 |
| 2004 | Bush+12.0 |
| 2000 | Bush+10.9 |
| 1996 | Dole+9.2 |
| 1992 | Bush+7.8 |
New Hanover, North Carolina is a county that has a population of 235,229. In the 2024 presidential election, it voted Democratic with a margin of D+0.6. Akashic Edge tracks 40 presidential elections here, dating back to 1868.
| Year | Dem % | Rep % | Margin | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 49.6% | 49.0% | D+0.6 | R+1.5 |
| 2020 | 50.2% | 48.0% | D+2.1 | D+6.0 |
| 2016 | 45.6% | 49.5% | R+3.9 | D+0.6 |
| 2012 | 47.0% | 51.5% | R+4.5 | R+3.2 |
| 2008 | 48.8% | 50.2% | R+1.4 | D+10.6 |
| 2004 | 43.8% | 55.8% | R+12.0 | R+1.2 |
| 2000 | 44.2% | 55.0% | R+10.9 | R+1.6 |
| 1996 | 41.7% | 50.9% | R+9.2 | R+1.5 |
| 1992 | 38.9% | 46.7% | R+7.8 | D+13.6 |
| 1988 | 39.2% | 60.6% | R+21.4 | D+9.3 |
| 1984 | 34.5% | 65.2% | R+30.7 | R+19.6 |
| 1980 | 42.4% | 53.5% | R+11.1 | R+13.9 |
| 1976 | 50.9% | 48.1% | D+2.9 | D+54.3 |
| 1972 | 23.0% | 74.4% | R+51.4 | R+43.0 |
| 1968 | 28.6% | 37.0% | R+8.4 | R+10.2 |
| 1964 | 50.9% | 49.1% | D+1.8 | R+13.0 |
| 1960 | 57.4% | 42.6% | D+14.8 | D+10.9 |
| 1956 | 52.0% | 48.0% | D+3.9 | R+1.1 |
| 1952 | 52.5% | 47.5% | D+5.1 | R+14.6 |
| 1948 | 47.9% | 28.2% | D+19.7 | — |
What defines New Hanover?
New Hanover has been won by both parties in the last 6 presidential elections (2D, 4R) — a genuine swing geography. It has a predominantly white, college-educated electorate that has shifted sharply toward Democrats in the Trump era.
County in State Context
Current North Carolina Polling
Contextual statewide polling for North Carolina. County pages stay rooted in county returns, but live statewide polling helps frame the current cycle.
2026 North Carolina Senate General Election
Roy Cooper leads at 48.8%
4 pollsLow
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Key Insights
High-confidence patterns distilled from this geography's election history.
- The 2024 election was decided by just 0.6 points — razor-thin
- Won by both parties in recent history — Democrats most recently in 2024, Republicans in 2016
- Margins have been narrowing — from 3.9pp to 0.6pp over the last 3 presidential elections