Richland County leans heavily Democratic by roughly 38 points: about 69% of voters vote Democratic and 31% Republican.
About 68% of adults in Richland County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Richland County, ~47% vote Democratic, ~21% Republican, and ~32% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Richland County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Richland County is the most Democratic-leaning.
Richland County runs about 56 points more Democratic than South Carolina as a whole. South Carolina leans Republican overall, while Richland County is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Richland County. The west side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+65) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+5), a spread of about 61 points.
Why Richland 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 Richland County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 41% of adults in Richland County hold a bachelor's degree, about 12 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and Richland County sits in the top fifth on density (about 72%, above 92% of counties). Richland County runs against the grain of South Carolina, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Richland County, SC sits in the top 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 Richland County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Richland County 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 63%, above 66% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Lexington County, SC R+30
- Fairfield County, SC D+13
- Kershaw County, SC R+32
- Calhoun County, SC R+15
- Sumter County, SC D+9
- Newberry County, SC R+22
- Saluda County, SC R+34
- Lee County, SC D+20
- Orangeburg County, SC D+28
- Chester County, SC R+16
Counties with Similar Populations
- Mobile County, AL R+8
- Loudoun County, VA D+18
- Cameron County, TX R+2
- Clackamas County, OR D+13
- Hillsborough County, NH D+11
- Charleston County, SC D+14
- Pinal County, AZ R+16
- Waukesha County, WI R+14
- Genesee County, MI D+8
- St. Charles County, MO R+14
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.