Lake City leans heavily Democratic by roughly 32 points: about 66% of voters vote Democratic and 34% Republican.
About 62% of adults in Lake City typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Lake City, ~41% vote Democratic, ~21% Republican, and ~38% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Lake City compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Lake City leans more Democratic than 33 of 42 neighbors.
Lake City runs about 50 points more Democratic than South Carolina as a whole. South Carolina leans Republican overall, while Lake City is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Lake City. The south side runs the most Democratic (D+59) and the northeast side runs the most Republican (R+20), a spread of about 79 points.
Why Lake City 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 Lake City, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Density combined with diversity predicts Democratic voting. Non-Hispanic white share in Lake City is about 33%, about 39 points below the U.S. average of 72%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 48% of adults in Lake City have never been married, above 98% of cities. Lake City runs against the grain of South Carolina, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Lake City, SC sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Lake City looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Lake City is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 41% of households in Lake City rent, compared to around 24% in nearby cities. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 28% of adults in Lake City report food insecurity, above 94% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Scranton, SC R+41
- Cades, SC R+3
- Moores Crossroads, SC R+25
- Coward, SC R+57
- Leo, SC R+19
- Olanta, SC R+23
- Hannah, SC R+59
- Union Crossroads, SC R+35
- Fowler, SC D+43
- Kingstree, SC D+43
Cities with Similar Populations
- Crestwood, IL D+5
- North Haledon, NJ R+20
- Munhall, PA D+17
- Schuylkill Haven, PA R+39
- Brookings, OR R+13
- Sheboygan Falls, WI R+22
- Tallassee, AL R+52
- Saddlebrooke, AZ R+8
- Lyons, IL D+14
- Shallotte, NC R+40
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.