29031 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 32 points: about 66% of voters vote Democratic and 34% Republican.
About 58% of adults in 29031 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 29031, ~38% vote Democratic, ~20% Republican, and ~42% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 29031 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 29031 leans more Democratic than 3 of 4 neighbors.
29031 runs about 49 points more Democratic than South Carolina as a whole. South Carolina leans Republican overall, while 29031 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 29031. The east side runs the most Democratic (D+65) and the northeast side runs the most Republican (R+26), a spread of about 91 points.
Why 29031 leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per zip code to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for 29031, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural, majority-Black areas of the Southern Black Belt vote Democratic, against the usual rural pattern. About 61% of residents in 29031 are Black or African American, about 31 points above the South Carolina average of 30%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 40% of adults in 29031 have never been married, above 87% of zip codes. 29031 runs against the grain of South Carolina, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; 29031, SC sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in 29031 looks the way it does
Areas with high food insecurity turn out at lower rates. About 24% of adults in 29031 report food insecurity, about 8 points above the U.S. average of 16%. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 80% of adults in 29031 have completed high school, below 91% of zip codes. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Zip Codes
Zip Codes with Similar Populations
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from South Carolina State Election Commission, distributed by the Voting and Election Science Team. Demographic inputs come from the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-year estimates and the 2020 Decennial Census). Health and environmental inputs come from the CDC (PLACES and the Environmental Justice Index). Land cover comes from the USGS and EPA. Election-day and lead-up weather come from PRISM 4km daily grids and the NOAA Global Historical Climatology Network. Mail-voting and election-administration patterns come from the MIT Election Lab's Survey of the Performance of American Elections. Block-group crime detail comes from CrimeGrade. Internet data and modeling support provided by ISPreports.org.
Modeling and analysis by the BestNeighborhood data science team. Full methodology and findings: political spectrum map.
Methodology reviewed by the BestNeighborhood data team. Last updated May 2026.