Kershaw leans heavily Republican by roughly 44 points: about 28% of voters vote Democratic and 72% Republican.
About 57% of adults in Kershaw typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Kershaw, ~16% vote Democratic, ~41% Republican, and ~43% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Kershaw compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Kershaw leans more Republican than 24 of 34 neighbors.
Kershaw runs about 26 points more Republican than South Carolina as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Kershaw. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+71) and the north side is the least Republican-leaning (R+22), a spread of about 49 points.
Why Kershaw 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 Kershaw, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with low college attainment vote Republican. About 12% of adults in Kershaw hold a bachelor's degree, about 11 points below the South Carolina average of 23%. Car-dependent areas vote Republican, and about 85% of residents in Kershaw drive to work alone, above 82% of cities.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; Kershaw, SC sits in the bottom quarter 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 Kershaw looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Kershaw 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 24% of adults in Kershaw report food insecurity, above 89% of cities. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 83% of adults in Kershaw have completed high school, below 84% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Oakhurst, SC R+34
- Taxahaw, SC R+69
- Primus, SC R+71
- Heath Springs, SC R+41
- Westville, SC R+55
- Stoneboro, SC R+39
- Catarrh, SC R+53
- Jefferson, SC R+38
- Tradesville, SC R+66
Cities with Similar Populations
- Cedar Hill, MO R+49
- Brunswick, MD D+3
- Tequesta, FL R+34
- St. Helena Island, SC D+22
- Pulaski, WI R+35
- Waretown, NJ R+38
- Fairlawn, OH D+21
- Snowflake, AZ R+64
- Pelham, GA R+8
- Westminster, MA Even
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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.