Charleston Historic District leans slightly Democratic by roughly 12 points: about 56% of voters vote Democratic and 44% Republican.
About 80% of adults in Charleston Historic District typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Charleston Historic District, ~45% vote Democratic, ~35% Republican, and ~20% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Charleston Historic District compares
Charleston Historic District runs about 30 points more Democratic than South Carolina as a whole. South Carolina leans Republican overall, while Charleston Historic District is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Charleston Historic District. The north side runs the most Democratic (D+45) and the southeast side runs the most Republican (R+8), a spread of about 53 points.
Why Charleston Historic District leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per neighborhood to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Charleston Historic District, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 76% of adults in Charleston Historic District hold a bachelor's degree, about 48 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Charleston Historic District runs against the grain of South Carolina, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Charleston Historic District, Charleston, SC sits in the top 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 Charleston Historic District looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Charleston Historic District 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 76%, about 16 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Daniel Island, Charleston, SC R+21
- Whipper Barnoy, North Charleston, SC D+74
- Boltons Landing, Charleston, SC D+7
- College Park, Ladson, SC R+5
- White Gables, Summerville, SC R+27
- Midtown Savannah, Savannah, GA D+71
- Ardmore-Gould Estates-Olin Heights, Savannah, GA D+36
- Chatham Parkway, Savannah, GA D+42
- Hunter Army Airfield, Savannah, GA D+4
- Paradise Park, Savannah, GA D+29
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Colonial Village, Sacramento, CA D+29
- oakwood, Bedford, OH D+60
- Stonemeade, Alafaya, FL D+6
- Greenbush, Madison, WI D+71
- Eastside Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA D+44
- Oaks, Garland, TX D+7
- Cooper, Tulsa, OK D+11
- Sheridan Hollow, Albany, NY D+71
- Hidden Hills, Jacksonville, FL R+8
- Southwest Saginaw, Saginaw, MI D+27
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.