Pelion is a Republican stronghold. About 17% of voters here vote Democratic and 83% Republican.
About 62% of adults in Pelion typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Pelion, ~11% vote Democratic, ~51% Republican, and ~38% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Pelion compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Pelion leans more Republican than 44 of 48 neighbors.
Pelion runs about 47 points more Republican than South Carolina as a whole.
Why Pelion 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 Pelion, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Pelion votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 22%, about 14 points below the U.S. average of 36%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Pelion sits in the bottom quarter (about 13%, below 86% of cities).
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; Pelion, SC sits in the bottom tenth 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 Pelion looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Pelion is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 21% of adults in Pelion report food insecurity, above 82% of cities. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 81% of adults in Pelion have completed high school, below 89% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Thor, SC R+65
- Fairview Crossroads, SC R+64
- Gaston, SC R+33
- Red Bank, SC R+43
- Seivern, SC R+29
- South Congaree, SC R+36
- Steedman, SC R+64
- Swansea, SC R+41
- Pine Ridge, SC R+34
- Perry, SC R+45
Cities with Similar Populations
- Jackson, CA R+32
- Cazenovia, NY D+10
- Epping, NH Even
- East Berlin, PA R+46
- Pinon Hills, CA R+41
- Newport, WA R+33
- Clarkston, WA R+19
- Topanga, CA D+28
- Orangeburg, NY R+5
- Ocean Isle Beach, NC R+36
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.