Charleston County, South Carolina
Latest: 2024
Leans Democratic — shifted 7.2pp toward Republicans in 2024 — 40 presidential elections on record
Race & ancestry
| Group | % |
|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 64.5% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(18) | 7.2% |
▶Black / African American(12) | 22.9% |
▶Asian(6) | 1.8% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(10) | 0.8% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(1) | 0.5% |
▶Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander(3) | 0.1% |
Multiracial / Other | 3.1% |
Religious adherence
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents |
|---|---|---|
| Evangelical Protestant | 16.9% | 33.4% |
| Catholic | 12.2% | 24.1% |
| Black Protestant | 10.0% | 19.8% |
| Mainline Protestant | 8.3% | 16.3% |
| Other | 2.8% | 5.6% |
| LDS (Mormon) | 0.8% | 1.5% |
| Orthodox Christian | 0.4% | 0.7% |
| Non-religious | 49.4% | — |
Presidential results
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Harris+5.7 |
| 2020 | Biden+12.9 |
| 2016 | Clinton+7.9 |
| 2012 | Obama+2.4 |
| 2008 | Obama+8.3 |
| 2004 | Bush+4.8 |
| 2000 | Bush+7.8 |
| 1996 | Dole+5.3 |
| 1992 | Bush+7.4 |
Charleston, South Carolina is a county that has a population of 420,264. In the 2024 presidential election, it voted Democratic with a margin of D+5.7. Akashic Edge tracks 40 presidential elections here, dating back to 1868.
| Year | Dem % | Rep % | Margin | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 51.9% | 46.3% | D+5.7 | R+7.2 |
| 2020 | 55.5% | 42.6% | D+12.9 | D+5.0 |
| 2016 | 50.6% | 42.8% | D+7.9 | D+5.5 |
| 2012 | 50.4% | 48.0% | D+2.4 | R+5.9 |
| 2008 | 53.5% | 45.2% | D+8.3 | D+13.1 |
| 2004 | 46.8% | 51.6% | R+4.8 | D+3.0 |
| 2000 | 44.4% | 52.2% | R+7.8 | R+2.5 |
| 1996 | 45.1% | 50.3% | R+5.3 | D+2.1 |
| 1992 | 40.6% | 48.0% | R+7.4 | D+12.1 |
| 1988 | 39.8% | 59.3% | R+19.5 | D+9.3 |
| 1984 | 35.0% | 63.8% | R+28.8 | R+14.6 |
| 1980 | 40.9% | 55.1% | R+14.2 | R+14.7 |
| 1976 | 49.6% | 49.2% | D+0.5 | D+40.2 |
| 1972 | 29.1% | 68.8% | R+39.7 | R+29.1 |
| 1968 | 32.8% | 43.5% | R+10.6 | D+27.5 |
| 1964 | 30.9% | 69.1% | R+38.1 | R+10.4 |
| 1960 | 36.2% | 63.8% | R+27.7 | R+13.7 |
| 1956 | 15.8% | 29.8% | R+14.0 | R+45.0 |
| 1952 | 33.1% | 2.1% | D+31.0 | D+15.9 |
| 1948 | 19.1% | 4.0% | D+15.1 | — |
What defines Charleston?
Charleston has been won by both parties in the last 6 presidential elections (5D, 1R) — a genuine swing geography. It has a predominantly white, college-educated electorate that has shifted sharply toward Democrats in the Trump era.
County in State Context
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Key Insights
High-confidence patterns distilled from this geography's election history.
- Has voted Democratic in the last 5 presidential elections
- Won by both parties in recent history — Democrats most recently in 2024, Republicans in 2004
- College attainment is 50% — 17pp above the national average. Similar education levels correlate with Democratic lean nationally
Located In
Charleston sits inside these higher-level geographies.