29161 leans slightly Republican by roughly 6 points: about 47% of voters vote Democratic and 53% Republican.
About 69% of adults in 29161 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 29161, ~32% vote Democratic, ~37% Republican, and ~31% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 29161 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 29161 leans more Republican than 6 of 10 neighbors.
29161 runs about 13 points more Democratic than South Carolina as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 29161. The north side runs the most Democratic (D+31) and the south side runs the most Republican (R+62), a spread of about 93 points.
Why 29161 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 29161, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 88% of residents in 29161 drive to work alone, about 14 points above the U.S. average of 74%.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; 29161, SC sits in the bottom quarter 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 29161 looks the way it does
Turnout in 29161 sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. 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.