Dale leans heavily Democratic by roughly 40 points: about 70% of voters vote Democratic and 30% Republican.
About 80% of adults in Dale typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Dale, ~56% vote Democratic, ~24% Republican, and ~20% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Dale compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Dale leans more Democratic than 43 of 44 neighbors.
Dale runs about 58 points more Democratic than South Carolina as a whole. South Carolina leans Republican overall, while Dale is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Dale. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+57) and the west side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+39), a spread of about 18 points.
Why Dale 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 Dale, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural, majority-Black areas of the Southern Black Belt vote Democratic, against the usual rural pattern. About 75% of residents in Dale are Black or African American, about 45 points above the South Carolina average of 30%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 32% of adults in Dale have never been married, above 80% of cities. Dale runs against the grain of South Carolina, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Cholesterol-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high cholesterol-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Dale, SC sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Cholesterol screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in Dale looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Dale 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 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Lobeco, SC D+3
- Seabrook, SC D+20
- Gardens Corner, SC D+38
- Sheldon, SC Even
- Ladys Island, SC R+19
- Beaufort, SC R+2
- Laurel Bay, SC R+17
- Green Pond, SC D+29
- Pocataligo, SC D+14
Cities with Similar Populations
- Pumpkin Center, MO R+68
- Russell, OH R+68
- Pearson, WI R+37
- Byrneville, FL R+47
- Arthur, WV R+82
- Excelsior Springs Junction, MO R+51
- Grenola, KS R+69
- Choctaw Bluff, AL D+28
- Charlton City, MA D+10
- Chapman, PA R+34
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.