29817 leans Democratic by roughly 24 points: about 62% of voters vote Democratic and 38% Republican.
About 70% of adults in 29817 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 29817, ~43% vote Democratic, ~27% Republican, and ~30% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 29817 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 29817 leans more Democratic than 7 of 8 neighbors.
29817 runs about 42 points more Democratic than South Carolina as a whole. South Carolina leans Republican overall, while 29817 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 29817. The west side runs the most Democratic (D+54) and the southeast side runs the most Republican (R+7), a spread of about 61 points.
Why 29817 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 29817, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
29817 votes against the grain of South Carolina. South Carolina leans Republican overall, while 29817 runs about 42 points more Democratic.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; 29817, SC sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in 29817 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 29817 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 49%, about 10 points below the South Carolina average of 58%. 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.