Orangeburg County leans Democratic by roughly 28 points: about 64% of voters vote Democratic and 36% Republican.
About 67% of adults in Orangeburg County typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Orangeburg County, ~43% vote Democratic, ~24% Republican, and ~33% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Orangeburg County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Orangeburg County leans more Democratic than 9 of 11 neighbors.
Orangeburg County runs about 46 points more Democratic than South Carolina as a whole. South Carolina leans Republican overall, while Orangeburg County is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Orangeburg County. The north side runs the most Democratic (D+51) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (R+33), a spread of about 85 points.
Why Orangeburg 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 Orangeburg County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Orangeburg County votes against the grain of South Carolina. South Carolina leans Republican overall, while Orangeburg County runs about 46 points more Democratic. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 42% of adults in Orangeburg County have never been married, above 95% of counties.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Orangeburg County, SC sits above the national average on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in Orangeburg County looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Orangeburg 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
- Calhoun County, SC R+15
- Bamberg County, SC D+18
- Barnwell County, SC R+13
- Clarendon County, SC R+8
- Sumter County, SC D+9
- Colleton County, SC R+17
- Lexington County, SC R+30
- Richland County, SC D+38
- Allendale County, SC D+37
- Dorchester County, SC R+12
Counties with Similar Populations
- Wood County, WV R+41
- Chemung County, NY R+14
- Cascade County, MT R+25
- Glynn County, GA R+14
- Crawford County, PA R+39
- Rockingham County, VA R+40
- Howard County, IN R+30
- Buchanan County, MO R+23
- Orange County, TX R+59
- Jefferson County, WI R+21
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.