Ward leans heavily Republican by roughly 42 points: about 29% of voters vote Democratic and 71% Republican.
About 55% of adults in Ward typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Ward, ~16% vote Democratic, ~39% Republican, and ~45% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Ward compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Ward leans more Republican than 23 of 39 neighbors.
Ward runs about 24 points more Republican than South Carolina as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Ward. The east side is the most Republican-leaning (R+49) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+24), a spread of about 24 points.
Why Ward 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 Ward, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with low college attainment vote Republican. About 12% of adults in Ward hold a bachelor's degree, about 12 points below the South Carolina average of 23%.
Park access and Republican lean
Places with low park coverage tend to lean Republican; Ward, SC sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Park access does not change how people vote; it tends to track denser, higher-income areas.
Why turnout in Ward looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Ward 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 26% of adults in Ward report food insecurity, above 92% of cities. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 73% of adults in Ward have completed high school, below 97% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Emory, SC R+19
- Johnston, SC R+4
- Fruit Hill, SC R+2
- Ridge Spring, SC R+19
- Monetta, SC R+30
- Mount Willing, SC R+63
- Batesburg, SC R+58
- Saluda, SC R+22
- Batesburg-Leesville, SC R+11
Cities with Similar Populations
- Sedan, KS R+67
- Cotopaxi, CO R+38
- Palatine Bridge, NY R+43
- Head of Westport, MA R+5
- Hector, MN R+54
- Hatfield, AR R+64
- Franklin Grove, IL R+30
- Martville, NY R+39
- Poncha Springs, CO D+8
- Boise City, OK R+56
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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.