York County leans Republican by roughly 16 points: about 42% of voters vote Democratic and 58% Republican.
About 76% of adults in York County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in York County, ~32% vote Democratic, ~44% Republican, and ~24% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How York County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, York County leans more Republican than 4 of 13 neighbors.
Politically, York County sits close to the rest of South Carolina.
Politics vary noticeably by city within York County. The south side runs the most Democratic (D+31) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (R+51), a spread of about 82 points.
Why York 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 York County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
York County votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 55%, far above the South Carolina average of 24%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 72% of households in York County are family households, above 88% of counties.
Cholesterol-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high cholesterol-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; York County, SC sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Cholesterol screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in York County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. York 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 66%, about 6 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Gaston County, NC R+18
- Mecklenburg County, NC D+35
- Chester County, SC R+16
- Lancaster County, SC R+23
- Union County, NC R+20
- Cleveland County, NC R+33
- Lincoln County, NC R+45
- Cherokee County, SC R+42
- Cabarrus County, NC R+7
- Union County, SC R+28
Counties with Similar Populations
- San Luis Obispo County, CA D+8
- Merced County, CA R+3
- Benton County, AR R+26
- Ingham County, MI D+31
- Winnebago County, IL D+7
- Alachua County, FL D+22
- Dauphin County, PA D+12
- Kitsap County, WA D+18
- Atlantic County, NJ D+4
- St. Johns County, FL R+26
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.