St. Stephen leans slightly Democratic by roughly 6 points: about 53% of voters vote Democratic and 47% Republican.
About 69% of adults in St. Stephen typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in St. Stephen, ~37% vote Democratic, ~32% Republican, and ~31% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How St. Stephen compares
Among cities within 25 miles, St. Stephen leans more Democratic than 22 of 35 neighbors.
St. Stephen runs about 25 points more Democratic than South Carolina as a whole. South Carolina leans Republican overall, while St. Stephen is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within St. Stephen. The northwest side runs the most Democratic (D+55) and the southeast side runs the most Republican (R+26), a spread of about 81 points.
Why St. Stephen 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 St. Stephen, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
St. Stephen votes against the grain of South Carolina. South Carolina leans Republican overall, while St. Stephen runs about 25 points more Democratic.
Park access and Democratic lean
Places with heavy park coverage tend to lean Democratic; St. Stephen, SC sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Park access does not change how people vote; it tends to track denser, higher-income areas.
Why turnout in St. Stephen looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. St. Stephen is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 48%, about 11 points below the South Carolina average of 58%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Bonneau, SC R+51
- Macbeth, SC R+63
- Lane, SC D+65
- Santee Circle, SC R+36
- Suttons, SC D+14
- Taft, SC D+43
- Pineville, SC D+23
- Russellville, SC R+33
- Bethera, SC R+62
- Pinopolis, SC R+53
Cities with Similar Populations
- Metamora, IL R+30
- Turners Falls, MA D+25
- Lee, NH Even
- Milton, WA D+5
- Clarinda, IA R+34
- Hunlock Creek, PA R+18
- Orwigsburg, PA R+33
- Natalia, TX R+28
- Lithia, FL R+58
- Kenedy, TX R+26
All Local Stats
Home Services
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.