Clemson, SC Political Map | Democrat & Republican Areas in Clemson

By the BestNeighborhood data science team. Last updated May 2026.

Clemson leans slightly Democratic by roughly 6 points: about 53% of voters vote Democratic and 47% Republican.

 

About 46% of adults in Clemson typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Clemson, ~24% vote Democratic, ~22% Republican, and ~54% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.

How Clemson compares

Among cities within 25 miles, Clemson leans more Democratic than 51 of 53 neighbors.

Clemson runs about 24 points more Democratic than South Carolina as a whole. South Carolina leans Republican overall, while Clemson is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.

Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Clemson. The north side runs the most Democratic (D+14) and the northwest side runs the most Republican (R+16), a spread of about 30 points.

Why Clemson 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 Clemson, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.

Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 67% of adults in Clemson hold a bachelor's degree, about 38 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and Clemson sits in the top fifth on density (about 67%, above 91% of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 72% of adults in Clemson have never been married, in the top fraction of cities.

Paved land cover and Democratic lean

Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Clemson, SC sits in the top tenth 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 Clemson looks the way it does

Renters vote less often than owners. About 66% of households in Clemson rent, about 41 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 97% of adults in Clemson have completed high school, above 91% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.

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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.