Berkeley County leans slightly Republican by roughly 14 points: about 43% of voters vote Democratic and 57% Republican.
About 69% of adults in Berkeley County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Berkeley County, ~30% vote Democratic, ~39% Republican, and ~31% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Berkeley County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Berkeley County leans more Republican than 4 of 5 neighbors.
Berkeley County runs about 5 points more Democratic than South Carolina as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Berkeley County. The northeast side is the most split-leaning (R+23) and the northwest side is the least split-leaning (R+3), a spread of about 20 points.
Why Berkeley County leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per county to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Berkeley County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Berkeley County votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 53%, well above the South Carolina average of 24%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Berkeley County, SC sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in Berkeley County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Berkeley County is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 62%, above 64% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Dorchester County, SC R+12
- Charleston County, SC D+14
- Colleton County, SC R+17
- Clarendon County, SC R+8
- Williamsburg County, SC D+26
- Orangeburg County, SC D+28
- Georgetown County, SC R+17
- Bamberg County, SC D+18
- Calhoun County, SC R+15
- Sumter County, SC D+9
Counties with Similar Populations
- Linn County, IA D+7
- Barnstable County, MA D+20
- Montgomery County, AL D+38
- Canyon County, ID R+40
- Mahoning County, OH Even
- Baldwin County, AL R+53
- Gaston County, NC R+18
- Hinds County, MS D+52
- Oneida County, NY R+13
- Lake County, OH R+11
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.