North Charleston, SC Political Map | Democrat & Republican Areas in North Charleston

By the BestNeighborhood data science team. Last updated May 2026.

North Charleston leans heavily Democratic by roughly 36 points: about 68% of voters vote Democratic and 32% Republican.

 

About 52% of adults in North Charleston typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in North Charleston, ~35% vote Democratic, ~17% Republican, and ~48% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.

How North Charleston compares

Among cities within 25 miles, North Charleston is the most Democratic-leaning.

North Charleston runs about 55 points more Democratic than South Carolina as a whole. South Carolina leans Republican overall, while North Charleston is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.

Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within North Charleston. The southeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+76) and the west side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+23), a spread of about 53 points.

Why North Charleston 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 North Charleston, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.

Dense areas vote Democratic. About 82% of residents in North Charleston live in densely developed areas, about 45 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 42% of adults in North Charleston have never been married, above 95% of cities. North Charleston 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; North Charleston, SC sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.

Why turnout in North Charleston looks the way it does

Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. North Charleston 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 49% of households in North Charleston rent, compared to around 30% in nearby cities. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 25% of adults in North Charleston report food insecurity, above 91% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.

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.