29631 leans slightly Democratic by roughly 6 points: about 53% of voters vote Democratic and 47% Republican.
About 52% of adults in 29631 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 29631, ~28% vote Democratic, ~24% Republican, and ~48% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 29631 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 29631 leans more Democratic than 12 of 13 neighbors.
29631 runs about 24 points more Democratic than South Carolina as a whole. South Carolina leans Republican overall, while 29631 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 29631. The north side runs the most Democratic (D+14) and the northwest side runs the most Republican (R+9), a spread of about 23 points.
Why 29631 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 29631, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 63% of adults in 29631 hold a bachelor's degree, about 35 points above the U.S. average of 28%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 64% of adults in 29631 have never been married, in the top fraction of zip codes. 29631 runs against the grain of South Carolina, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 29631, SC sits in the top 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 29631 looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 63% of households in 29631 rent, about 38 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 21% of adults in 29631 report food insecurity, above 82% 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.