Hampton County leans slightly Democratic by roughly 8 points: about 54% of voters vote Democratic and 46% Republican.
About 66% of adults in Hampton County typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Hampton County, ~35% vote Democratic, ~30% Republican, and ~35% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Hampton County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Hampton County leans more Democratic than 8 of 11 neighbors.
Hampton County runs about 26 points more Democratic than South Carolina as a whole. South Carolina leans Republican overall, while Hampton County is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Hampton County. The southwest side runs the most Democratic (D+41) and the south side runs the most Republican (R+27), a spread of about 68 points.
Why Hampton County leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per county to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Hampton County, 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 54% of residents in Hampton County are Black or African American, about 24 points above the South Carolina average of 30%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 39% of adults in Hampton County have never been married, above 93% of counties. Hampton County runs against the grain of South Carolina, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; Hampton County, SC sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Hampton County looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Hampton County 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 Counties
- Allendale County, SC D+37
- Jasper County, SC Even
- Colleton County, SC R+17
- Screven County, GA R+23
- Bamberg County, SC D+18
- Barnwell County, SC R+13
- Effingham County, GA R+46
- Beaufort County, SC R+9
- Bulloch County, GA R+10
- Jenkins County, GA R+20
Counties with Similar Populations
- Randolph County, AR R+63
- Deaf Smith County, TX R+30
- Andrews County, TX R+62
- Cedar County, IA R+34
- Lamar County, GA R+36
- Fentress County, TN R+68
- Clay County, MS D+18
- Warren County, NC D+19
- Ste. Genevieve County, MO R+55
- Westmoreland County, VA R+14
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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.