Calhoun County leans slightly Republican by roughly 14 points: about 43% of voters vote Democratic and 57% Republican.
About 73% of adults in Calhoun County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Calhoun County, ~31% vote Democratic, ~42% Republican, and ~27% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Calhoun County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Calhoun County leans more Republican than 8 of 10 neighbors.
Politically, Calhoun County sits close to the rest of South Carolina.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Calhoun County. The north side runs the most Democratic (D+9) and the northwest side runs the most Republican (R+34), a spread of about 44 points.
Why Calhoun County leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Calhoun County. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; Calhoun County, SC sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in Calhoun County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Calhoun 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 59%, modestly above similar-sized counties (around 54%). Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 85% of households in Calhoun County own their home, above 96% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Orangeburg County, SC D+28
- Richland County, SC D+38
- Lexington County, SC R+30
- Sumter County, SC D+9
- Bamberg County, SC D+18
- Clarendon County, SC R+8
- Barnwell County, SC R+13
- Kershaw County, SC R+32
- Lee County, SC D+20
- Fairfield County, SC D+13
Counties with Similar Populations
- Swain County, NC R+27
- Noble County, OH R+55
- Dickenson County, VA R+66
- York County, NE R+52
- Craig County, OK R+53
- Atoka County, OK R+69
- Estill County, KY R+63
- Massac County, IL R+46
- Claiborne Parish, LA R+11
- Screven County, GA R+23
All Local Stats
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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.