Drake leans heavily Republican by roughly 32 points: about 34% of voters vote Democratic and 66% Republican.
About 55% of adults in Drake typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Drake, ~19% vote Democratic, ~36% Republican, and ~45% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Drake compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Drake leans more Republican than 42 of 49 neighbors.
Drake runs about 15 points more Republican than South Carolina as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Drake. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+39) and the north side is the least Republican-leaning (R+24), a spread of about 15 points.
Why Drake 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 Drake, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with low college attainment vote Republican. About 7% of adults in Drake hold a bachelor's degree, about 16 points below the South Carolina average of 23%.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; Drake, SC sits in the bottom 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 Drake looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Drake is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 28% of adults in Drake report food insecurity, above 94% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Blenheim, SC R+36
- Brownsville, SC R+39
- Marlboro, SC R+15
- Bristow, SC R+42
- Clio, SC D+29
- Bennettsville, SC D+25
- Minturn, SC D+9
- Tatum, SC R+22
- Society Hill, SC D+6
- Little Rock, SC D+3
Cities with Similar Populations
- Woodruff, IN R+66
- Scott, MS R+21
- Whiteville, OH R+49
- Jackson Hill, IN R+60
- Independence, IN R+59
- Herald, IL R+56
- Iola, PA R+54
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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.