Ridgecrest leans Republican by roughly 26 points: about 37% of voters vote Democratic and 63% Republican.
About 77% of adults in Ridgecrest typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Ridgecrest, ~28% vote Democratic, ~49% Republican, and ~23% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Ridgecrest compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Ridgecrest leans more Republican than 17 of 41 neighbors.
Ridgecrest runs about 8 points more Republican than South Carolina as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Ridgecrest. The southeast side runs the most Democratic (D+54) and the west side runs the most Republican (R+63), a spread of about 117 points.
Why Ridgecrest 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 Ridgecrest, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 86% of residents in Ridgecrest drive to work alone, about 12 points above the U.S. average of 74%.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Ridgecrest, SC sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in Ridgecrest looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Ridgecrest 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 Cities
- Foxtown, SC R+4
- Aiken, SC R+20
- Vaucluse, SC R+10
- Graniteville, SC R+13
- Trenton, SC R+26
- Oakwood, SC R+55
- Warrenville, SC R+47
- Langley, SC R+33
- Gloverville, SC R+50
- Ridge Spring, SC R+19
Cities with Similar Populations
- New Dover, OH R+46
- Michigantown, IN R+56
- Baskerville, VA R+27
- Frost, TX R+71
- Chandlersville, OH R+64
- Patten, ME R+28
- Adair, IA R+46
- Coventry, VT R+30
- Saulsbury, TN R+30
- Underwood, WA D+7
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.