Charleston leans slightly Republican by roughly 12 points: about 44% of voters vote Democratic and 56% Republican.
About 75% of adults in Charleston typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Charleston, ~33% vote Democratic, ~42% Republican, and ~25% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Charleston compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Charleston leans more Republican than 9 of 27 neighbors.
Charleston runs about 26 points more Republican than Oregon as a whole. Oregon leans Democratic overall, while Charleston is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Charleston. The east side is the most Republican-leaning (R+18) and the north side is the least Republican-leaning (R+6), a spread of about 12 points.
Why Charleston leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per city to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Charleston, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Charleston votes against the grain of Oregon. Oregon leans Democratic overall, while Charleston runs about 26 points more Republican.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Charleston, OR sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Charleston looks the way it does
Turnout in Charleston sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Libby, OR R+22
- Coos Bay, OR R+6
- Coaledo, OR R+31
- Allegany, OR R+31
- North Bend, OR R+5
- Randolph, OR R+12
- Sumner, OR R+27
- Glasgow, OR D+11
- Eastside, OR R+23
- Shorewood, OR R+20
Cities with Similar Populations
- Plainfield, MI R+35
- Foster, VA R+33
- Thawville, IL R+53
- Francis Mills, NJ R+41
- Hico, LA R+66
- Hillcrest, MI R+13
- Gifford, KY R+62
- Bristow, IA R+53
- Litchville, ND R+55
- Lisbon, TN R+78
All Local Stats
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Oregon Secretary of State, Elections Division, 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.