29836 leans Democratic by roughly 28 points: about 64% of voters vote Democratic and 36% Republican.
About 54% of adults in 29836 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 29836, ~35% vote Democratic, ~19% Republican, and ~46% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 29836 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 29836 leans more Democratic than 2 of 3 neighbors.
29836 runs about 45 points more Democratic than South Carolina as a whole. South Carolina leans Republican overall, while 29836 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 29836. The south side runs the most Democratic (D+34) and the west side runs the most Republican (R+15), a spread of about 49 points.
Why 29836 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 29836, 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 75% of residents in 29836 are Black or African American, about 45 points above the South Carolina average of 30%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 39% of adults in 29836 have never been married, above 87% of zip codes. 29836 runs against the grain of South Carolina, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
High-school completion, uninsured rate, and voter turnout
Places that combine low high-school-completion share and a high uninsured rate tend to turn out at a lower rate, as 29836, SC does.
Why turnout in 29836 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 29836 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 36% of adults in 29836 report food insecurity, above 97% of zip codes. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 75% of adults in 29836 have completed high school, below 96% 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.