HarrisDemocratic40.4%1,028,452TrumpRepublican58.2%1,483,747OliverLibertarian0.5%12,669
R+17.9- Lead
- 455,295
- Total
- 2,548,140
- vs nation
- R+16.4
- Turnout
- 64.0%
Key facts
- 2024 presidential margin
- R+17.9MIT Election Lab
- Population
- 5,296,2252024 5-year
- Population density
- 176 / sq mi2024 5-year · TIGER/Line
- Land area
- 30,065 sq miTIGER/Line
- Median household income
- $69,3242024 5-year
- White (non-Hispanic)
- 61.9%2024 5-year
- Black
- 24.6%2024 5-year
- Hispanic / Latino
- 7.4%2024 5-year
- Peak Democratic margin
- D+98.6 in 1936MIT Election Lab
- Peak Republican margin
- R+42.7 in 1972MIT Election Lab
- Most similar
- Mississippi, MS · twin score 93.8
Midterm durability
Total general-election participants divided by same-year citizen voting-age population. These are total ballots or participating voters—not presidential candidate votes.
- 2024 total turnout
- 64.0%2,566,404 participants ÷ 4,009,584 CVAP
- 2020→2022 drop-off
- +21.6 ptsPresidential-dependent
- Drop-off versus state
- 0.0 ptsPositive means a larger decline than the statewide pattern
- Mechanical 2026 scenario
- 42.4%–47.2%Recent-cycle and two-cycle persistence scenarios; not a forecast
| Election | Participants | CVAP | Turnout | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 · Presidential | 2,124,952 | 3,620,829 | 58.7% | B/A |
| 2018 · Midterm | 1,739,705 | 3,731,348 | 46.6% | B/A |
| 2020 · Presidential | 2,523,856 | 3,849,680 | 65.6% | B/A |
| 2022 · Midterm | 1,718,519 | 3,905,589 | 44.0% | B/A |
| 2024 · Presidential | 2,566,404 | 4,009,584 | 64.0% | B/A |
Sources and methods
- 2016: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-state-v1:observed:aggregated; allocation share 0.0%; series 276/110.
- 2018: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-state-v1:observed:aggregated; allocation share 0.0%; series 279/137.
- 2020: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-state-v1:observed:aggregated; allocation share 0.0%; series 282/1.
- 2022: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-state-v1:observed:aggregated; allocation share 0.0%; series 285/182.
- 2024: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-state-v1:observed:aggregated; allocation share 0.0%; series 288/227.
presidential history
Party record book
South Carolina · the strongest Democratic and Republican presidential performances recorded here, measured three ways.
1892–2024 · 34 presidential cycles
Highest vote share
Largest share of the presidential candidate vote cast here.
Democratic
Franklin D. Roosevelt1936
98.6%
113,791 votes · D+98.6
Runner-up · Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1932 · 98.0%
Republican
Richard Nixon1972
70.6%
478,427 votes · R+42.7
Runner-up · Ronald Reagan, 1984 · 63.6%
Most votes
Largest number of votes cast for the party’s presidential nominee here.
Democratic
Joe Biden2020
1,091,541votes
43.4% of the vote · R+11.7
Runner-up · Kamala Harris, 2024 · 1,028,452 votes
Republican
Donald Trump2024
1,483,747votes
58.2% of the vote · R+17.9
Runner-up · Donald Trump, 2020 · 1,385,103 votes
Best relative to the U.S.
This Place’s margin against the national margin in the same election — positive when it leaned toward the party more than the country did.
Democratic
John W. Davis1924
+119.5pts D vs U.S.
Place D+94.3 · U.S. R+25.2
Runner-up · James M. Cox, 1920 · +118.3 pts
Republican
Barry Goldwater1964
+40.4pts R vs U.S.
Place R+17.8 · U.S. D+22.6
Runner-up · Richard Nixon, 1972 · +19.5 pts
2026 election
On the ballot
Governoropen seat
Alan WilsonnomineeJermaine Johnsonnominee
OPEN seat: incumbent Gov. Henry McMaster (R) is term-limited (capitalization: McMaster) - first open SC governor's race since 2010. The crowded GOP primary (June 9) went to a June 23 2026 runoff, which Attorney General Alan Wilson won over Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette (~66-34), defeating the candidate Trump backed late. State Rep. Jermaine Johnson won the Democratic primary outright June 9 (~58%). Both nominees set.
U.S. Senate
Lindsey GrahamnomineeAnnie AndrewsnomineeKasie WhitenernomineeMark Hackettnominee
Primary 2026-06-09. Graham won GOP 56.8%; Andrews won Dem 61.5%.
U.S. House elections · 157 House
Senate and governor results are in the Office selector at the top of this page.
U.S. House
| Year | Seats won | D % | R % | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D 1 · R 6 | 39.0% | 59.6% | 2,474,904 | |
| D 1 · R 6 | 32.3% | 65.9% | 1,602,341 | |
| D 1 · R 6 | 43.0% | 56.4% | 2,505,442 | |
| D 2 · R 5 | 44.4% | 54.3% | 1,709,292 |
voter registration
Registered voters
Total registered voters, over time
Registered voters
| Year | Total registered |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3,157,027 |
| 2018 | 3,538,580 |
| 2020 | 3,854,209 |
| 2022 | 3,740,723 |
| 2024 | 3,851,187 |
domestic migration
Who moves in and out
Net domestic migration over time
+66,622 net domestic migration · 2025
20112025
Net +727,016 over 2011–2025 · gain loss
| Year | Net domestic migration |
|---|---|
| 2011 | +18,146 |
| 2012 | +23,594 |
| 2013 | +29,289 |
| 2014 | +39,825 |
| 2015 | +49,065 |
| 2016 | +50,199 |
| 2017 | +49,262 |
| 2018 | +50,330 |
| 2019 | +53,034 |
| 2021 | +68,406 |
| 2022 | +83,341 |
| 2023 | +79,536 |
| 2024 | +66,367 |
| 2025 | +66,622 |
Black residents make up 24.6 percent of South Carolina, among the largest shares of any state, and the Democratic vote runs where that share is highest — Allendale by 44.7 points, Columbia’s Richland County by 34.6 — even as the state moved 6.2 points toward Trump.
- Republican, and widening
- R+11.7 (2020) → R+17.9 (2024) — a 6.2-point move toward Trump; 1,483,747 to 1,028,452 · MIT Election Lab
- One of the largest Black shares
- 24.6% of residents are Black — among the largest shares of any state; the Democratic vote runs where it is highest · ACS 2024 5-year (B03002)
- The Lowcountry, Pee Dee, and Columbia
- Allendale D+44.7 (bluest), Richland — Columbia — D+34.6, Orangeburg D+24.6, Williamsburg D+21.7; Harris carried 12 of 46 counties · MIT Election Lab 2024
- The Republican Upstate
- Pickens R+52.7 (reddest); Greenville County cast 158,541 Republican votes, the largest county total in the state · MIT Election Lab 2024
- The coast and Upstate moved
- Horry — the Grand Strand — R+33.2 (2020) → R+38.5 (2024); Spartanburg R+27.3 → R+33.6 · MIT Election Lab / Akashic county returns
- Open governor in 2026
- McMaster term-limited — Alan Wilson (R), the attorney general, vs Jermaine Johnson (D); Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) seeks a 5th term · Akashic 2026 forecast
Political twins — states
The states whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Mississippi
Mississippi
93.8twin score
2000–2024 trajectory≠ % Black
Alabama
Alabama
93.4twin score
% Black2000 margin% Catholic≠ % Evangelical
Tennessee
Tennessee
84.7twin score
% Evangelical2008 marginmedian income≠ American ancestry
Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.
Compare two places, side by side
Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →
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All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.
South Carolina. Akashic. https://akashic.app/state/SC/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
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Frequently asked questions
How did South Carolina vote in 2024?
In 2024, South Carolina voted Republican by 17.9 points (R+17.9), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 2,548,140 votes cast, 1,028,452 went Democratic and 1,483,747 went Republican.
When did South Carolina last vote Democratic?
The most recent presidential election in which South Carolina voted Democratic was 1976.
How many people live in South Carolina?
South Carolina has a population of 5,296,225 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in South Carolina?
Median household income in South Carolina is $69,324 — below the national median of $80,734. The South Carolina state median is $69,324.
What is the political history of South Carolina?
Akashic tracks 34 presidential elections in South Carolina from 1892 to 2024. Of those, 18 went Democratic and 15 went Republican.