Folly Beach is a true toss-up. About 48% of voters here vote Democratic and 52% Republican.
About 96% of adults in Folly Beach typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Folly Beach, ~46% vote Democratic, ~50% Republican, and ~4% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Folly Beach compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Folly Beach leans more Republican than 15 of 28 neighbors.
Folly Beach runs about 14 points more Democratic than South Carolina as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Folly Beach. The northwest side runs the most Democratic (D+8) and the west side runs the most Republican (R+12), a spread of about 20 points.
Why Folly Beach leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Folly Beach. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Folly Beach, SC sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in Folly Beach looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Folly Beach 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 77%, about 17 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 93% of households in Folly Beach own their home, about 18 points above the U.S. average of 75%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 97% of adults in Folly Beach have completed high school, above 91% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Kiawah Island, SC R+6
- Johns Island, SC R+6
- Legareville, SC D+3
- Charleston, SC Even
- Sullivans Island, SC R+11
- Fenwick Hills, SC Even
- Wadmalaw Island, SC D+14
- Isle Of Palms, SC R+14
- Mount Pleasant, SC R+10
- Seabrook Island, SC R+8
Cities with Similar Populations
- Sebastian, TX R+9
- Colstrip, MT R+52
- Vestaburg, MI R+51
- Elmwood Place, OH D+7
- Mora, ID R+49
- Woodway, VA R+59
- Hartford, GA R+33
- Sardis, GA R+22
- Farley, IA R+39
- Presto, PA R+5
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.