Pontiac leans slightly Democratic by roughly 10 points: about 55% of voters vote Democratic and 45% Republican.
About 75% of adults in Pontiac typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Pontiac, ~42% vote Democratic, ~34% Republican, and ~24% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Pontiac compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Pontiac leans more Democratic than 24 of 49 neighbors.
Pontiac runs about 29 points more Democratic than South Carolina as a whole. South Carolina leans Republican overall, while Pontiac is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Pontiac. The northwest side runs the most Democratic (D+30) and the southeast side runs the most Republican (R+47), a spread of about 77 points.
Why Pontiac 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 Pontiac, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Density combined with diversity predicts Democratic voting. Non-Hispanic white share in Pontiac is about 42%, about 30 points below the U.S. average of 72%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Pontiac sits in the top quarter (about 36%, above 83% of cities). Pontiac runs against the grain of South Carolina, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Pontiac, SC sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in Pontiac looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Pontiac is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 68%, about 8 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Elgin, SC D+4
- Woodfield, SC D+55
- Killian, SC D+56
- Lugoff, SC R+40
- Dentsville, SC D+66
- Arcadia Lakes, SC D+19
- Blythewood, SC D+28
- Columbia, SC D+6
- Horrel Hill, SC Even
- Forest Acres, SC D+10
Cities with Similar Populations
- Stapleton, AL R+61
- Neeses, SC R+28
- Glenrock, WY R+61
- East Freedom, PA R+62
- Herington, KS R+46
- Atlanta, MI R+41
- Wolverine, MI R+40
- Pollock, LA R+85
- Bartonville, TX R+46
- Woolwich, ME D+11
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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.