Laurel Bay leans Republican by roughly 18 points: about 41% of voters vote Democratic and 59% Republican.
About 52% of adults in Laurel Bay typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Laurel Bay, ~21% vote Democratic, ~31% Republican, and ~48% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Laurel Bay compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Laurel Bay leans more Republican than 34 of 42 neighbors.
Politically, Laurel Bay sits close to the rest of South Carolina.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Laurel Bay. The southeast side runs the most Democratic (D+3) and the northeast side runs the most Republican (R+24), a spread of about 27 points.
Why Laurel Bay 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 Laurel Bay, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 86% of residents in Laurel Bay drive to work alone, about 12 points above the U.S. average of 74%. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 84% of households in Laurel Bay are family households, above 95% of cities.
Developed land, local retail density, and voter turnout
Places that combine a heavily developed built environment and sparse local retail within a mile tend to turn out at a lower rate, as Laurel Bay, SC does.
Why turnout in Laurel Bay looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Laurel Bay 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 66% of households in Laurel Bay rent, compared to around 26% in nearby cities. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 22% of adults in Laurel Bay report food insecurity, above 85% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Burton, SC D+8
- Nevadun, SC R+8
- Beaufort, SC R+2
- Seabrook, SC D+20
- Sheldon, SC Even
- Port Royal, SC R+6
- Lobeco, SC D+3
- Ladys Island, SC R+19
Cities with Similar Populations
- Kimberly, AL R+67
- Tulia, TX R+43
- Satsuma, FL R+58
- New Gloucester, ME R+17
- Edgartown, MA D+33
- Tontitown, AR R+27
- Cloverdale, IN R+57
- Tupper Lake, NY R+12
- Calhan, CO R+58
- East Petersburg, PA R+6
All Local Stats
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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.