| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 8,613 | 28,565 | 37,508 | |
| 2020 | R | 8,721 | 27,538 | 36,638 | |
| 2016 | R | 7,488 | 23,671 | 32,196 | |
| 2012 | R | 9,112 | 19,923 | 29,470 | |
| 2008 | R | 10,475 | 18,730 | 29,525 | |
| 2004 | R | 8,304 | 17,587 | 25,992 | |
| 2000 | D | 15,401 | 7,757 | 23,358 | |
| 1996 | R | 7,303 | 11,117 | 20,021 | |
| 1992 | R | 9,392 | 10,866 | 23,453 | |
| 1988 | R | 7,245 | 11,393 | 18,660 | |
| 1984 | R | 7,188 | 13,340 | 20,562 | |
| 1980 | R | 8,987 | 10,065 | 19,408 | |
| 1976 | D | 10,024 | 7,403 | 17,490 | |
| 1972 | R | 4,706 | 10,497 | 15,487 | |
| 1968 | R | 5,088 | 9,638 | 18,829 | |
| 1964 | D | 9,810 | 7,970 | 17,780 | |
| 1960 | R | 8,185 | 10,035 | 18,220 | |
| 1956 | R | 7,020 | 9,001 | 16,021 | |
| 1952 | D | 8,206 | 7,591 | 15,797 | |
| 1948 | D | 6,956 | 4,643 | 12,253 | |
| 1944 | D | 7,679 | 5,116 | 12,795 | |
| 1940 | D | 8,871 | 4,178 | 13,049 | |
| 1936 | D | 8,833 | 4,766 | 13,599 | |
| 1932 | D | 7,490 | 4,511 | 12,070 | |
| 1928 | R | 3,647 | 7,015 | 10,662 | |
| 1924 | R | 4,418 | 4,990 | 9,474 | |
| 1920 | R | 3,547 | 5,170 | 8,717 | |
| 1916 | R | 2,029 | 2,977 | 5,018 | |
| 1912 | R | 1,919 | 2,277 | 4,805 | |
| 1908 | R | 1,709 | 2,870 | 4,585 | |
| 1904 | R | 1,741 | 2,475 | 4,216 | |
| 1900 | R | 1,898 | 2,451 | 4,349 | |
| 1896 | R | 2,019 | 2,590 | 4,617 | |
| 1892 | D | 1,974 | 1,740 | 3,793 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Surry County, anchored by Mount Airy in the Blue Ridge Foothills, has delivered Republican presidential margins above 50 points in recent cycles, reflecting a rural, working-class electorate with deep roots in furniture and textile manufacturing.
The Democratic margin in Surry County peaked at thirty-six points in 1940. By 2004 the county had flipped, voting Republican for the first time in many years. The 2024 margin was fifty-three points, the most Republican-leaning result in the county's modern history.
The economic context is the key. Surry County's median household income of $55,656 sits well below state and national norms, and 17% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The shift here is part of a broader realignment of working-class places across the country. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of McDowell County and Tripp County.