| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 26,569 | 59,577 | 87,109 | |
| 2020 | R | 25,689 | 56,588 | 83,425 | |
| 2016 | R | 21,216 | 48,324 | 72,351 | |
| 2012 | R | 24,069 | 44,538 | 69,601 | |
| 2008 | R | 25,656 | 42,993 | 69,451 | |
| 2004 | R | 18,858 | 39,602 | 58,688 | |
| 2000 | D | 34,244 | 16,246 | 50,841 | |
| 1996 | R | 15,601 | 26,898 | 46,354 | |
| 1992 | R | 16,334 | 25,466 | 49,409 | |
| 1988 | R | 12,922 | 28,872 | 41,838 | |
| 1984 | R | 11,700 | 31,476 | 43,250 | |
| 1980 | R | 13,873 | 22,873 | 37,878 | |
| 1976 | R | 16,862 | 18,696 | 35,708 | |
| 1972 | R | 7,744 | 24,106 | 32,375 | |
| 1968 | R | 6,974 | 18,393 | 32,652 | |
| 1964 | R | 15,814 | 17,116 | 32,930 | |
| 1960 | R | 13,491 | 19,135 | 32,626 | |
| 1956 | R | 11,424 | 19,246 | 30,670 | |
| 1952 | R | 11,554 | 16,814 | 28,368 | |
| 1948 | R | 8,844 | 9,471 | 19,937 | |
| 1944 | D | 10,146 | 7,211 | 17,357 | |
| 1940 | D | 11,233 | 5,656 | 16,889 | |
| 1936 | D | 11,017 | 6,387 | 17,404 | |
| 1932 | D | 8,446 | 5,817 | 14,340 | |
| 1928 | R | 4,916 | 7,556 | 12,472 | |
| 1924 | R | 5,754 | 5,998 | 11,919 | |
| 1920 | R | 5,404 | 5,935 | 11,339 | |
| 1916 | R | 2,569 | 2,624 | 5,207 | |
| 1912 | D | 2,110 | 203 | 4,188 | |
| 1908 | R | 1,864 | 2,010 | 3,909 | |
| 1904 | D | 1,497 | 1,309 | 3,082 | |
| 1900 | D | 1,612 | 1,522 | 3,292 | |
| 1896 | D | 2,649 | 1,004 | 3,682 | |
| 1892 | D | 1,711 | 705 | 3,382 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Catawba County anchors North Carolina's furniture and fiber-optics corridor along the Catawba River, and its working-class industrial base has drifted steadily toward lopsided Republican margins over the past two decades.
The Republican margin in Catawba County reached its widest at fifty-one points in 1972. The margin in 2024 was thirty-eight points, in line with the county's deep historical pattern.
Catawba County's loyalty is rooted in its place. Median household income of $67,864, a 75% non-Hispanic-white share, and a population of 163,573 together describe a community whose political habits are deeply settled. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Rowan County and Iredell County.
