Gaffney leans Republican by roughly 28 points: about 36% of voters vote Democratic and 64% Republican.
About 65% of adults in Gaffney typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Gaffney, ~23% vote Democratic, ~42% Republican, and ~35% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Gaffney compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Gaffney leans more Republican than 12 of 65 neighbors.
Gaffney runs about 11 points more Republican than South Carolina as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Gaffney. The east side runs the most Democratic (D+14) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (R+67), a spread of about 81 points.
Why Gaffney 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 Gaffney, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Gaffney votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 38%, modestly above the South Carolina average of 24%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Gaffney, SC sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Gaffney looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Gaffney 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
- East Gaffney, SC R+22
- Draytonville, SC R+73
- Cherokee Falls, SC R+74
- Cowpens, SC R+62
- Clifton, SC R+48
- Blacksburg, SC R+67
- Wilkinsville, SC R+79
- Mayo, SC R+68
- Pacolet Mills, SC R+71
- Converse, SC R+50
Cities with Similar Populations
- West Little River, FL D+25
- Windsor, CO R+18
- Farmers Branch, TX D+14
- Kinston, NC D+15
- Staunton, VA R+9
- Fairhope, AL R+49
- Newhall, CA D+7
- Clemmons, NC R+13
- North Ridgeville, OH R+13
- Watertown Town, MA D+57
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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.