Darlington leans slightly Democratic by roughly 6 points: about 53% of voters vote Democratic and 47% Republican.
About 66% of adults in Darlington typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Darlington, ~35% vote Democratic, ~31% Republican, and ~34% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Darlington compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Darlington leans more Democratic than 33 of 43 neighbors.
Darlington runs about 25 points more Democratic than South Carolina as a whole. South Carolina leans Republican overall, while Darlington is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Darlington. The southeast side runs the most Democratic (D+27) and the west side runs the most Republican (R+13), a spread of about 40 points.
Why Darlington 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 Darlington, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Density combined with diversity predicts Democratic voting. Non-Hispanic white share in Darlington is about 44%, about 28 points below the U.S. average of 72%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 37% of adults in Darlington have never been married, above 91% of cities. Darlington runs against the grain of South Carolina, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Darlington, SC sits in the top 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 Darlington looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Darlington is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Lewis Crossroads, SC R+7
- Dovesville, SC D+10
- Syracuse, SC R+17
- Ebenezer, SC R+34
- Crestview, SC D+29
- Quinby, SC D+62
- Florence, SC D+5
- Oats, SC R+28
- Mechanicsville, SC D+11
- Lydia, SC D+24
Cities with Similar Populations
- South San Jose Hills, CA D+28
- Penfield, NY D+18
- Billerica, MA D+5
- Payson, UT R+49
- Pittsburg, KS R+16
- Crawfordsville, IN R+35
- Palmetto Bay, FL R+8
- Aberdeen, MD D+12
- Winchester, MA D+51
- Hobe Sound, FL R+28
All Local Stats
Home Services
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.