Laurens County leans heavily Republican by roughly 36 points: about 32% of voters vote Democratic and 68% Republican.
About 65% of adults in Laurens County typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Laurens County, ~21% vote Democratic, ~44% Republican, and ~35% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Laurens County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Laurens County leans more Republican than 7 of 11 neighbors.
Laurens County runs about 18 points more Republican than South Carolina as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Laurens County. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+64) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+12), a spread of about 53 points.
Why Laurens 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 Laurens County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 82% of residents in Laurens County drive to work alone, about 8 points above the U.S. average of 74%.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; Laurens County, SC sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Laurens County looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Laurens 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
- Greenwood County, SC R+18
- Union County, SC R+28
- Greenville County, SC R+14
- Abbeville County, SC R+39
- Newberry County, SC R+22
- Spartanburg County, SC R+25
- Anderson County, SC R+43
- Saluda County, SC R+34
- Pickens County, SC R+43
- Cherokee County, SC R+42
Counties with Similar Populations
- Oldham County, KY R+23
- Walker County, GA R+61
- Carteret County, NC R+35
- Butler County, KS R+41
- Spalding County, GA R+8
- Jefferson County, AR D+22
- Jones County, MS R+32
- Otero County, NM R+19
- Catoosa County, GA R+54
- McCracken County, KY R+30
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.