Now that we’re headed towards the next big election, we wanted to get a better sense of what parts of South Carolina would be the most likely to back Donald Trump again.
Specifically, which cities have the highest number of conservative voters in the Palmetto State?
To do so, we used Saturday Night Science to measure how each city in South Carolina with populations greater than 5,000 voted in past elections. The cities with the highest percentage of voters who voted Republican were named the most conservative cities in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 most conservative places in South Carolina for 2024
If you’re wondering, Forest Acres is the most liberal city in South Carolina of all those we measured.
And to be clear, we didn’t form this list based on our own biases — we relied on the cold hard data. For more on how we ran the numbers, keep on reading. Then we’ll take a closer look at each of our top 10 most conservative cities in South Carolina.
Additional reading about South Carolina and the most conservative places in the country:
The 10 Most Conservative Places In South Carolina For 2024
/10
Percent Republican: 74.6%
More on Clemson: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Percent Republican: 74.6%
More on Central: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Percent Republican: 74.6%
More on Easley: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Percent Republican: 73.0%
More on Seneca: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Percent Republican: 71.4%
More on Gaffney: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Percent Republican: 70.3%
More on Anderson: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Percent Republican: 67.0%
More on Batesburg-Leesville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Percent Republican: 66.1%
More on Myrtle Beach: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Percent Republican: 66.1%
More on North Myrtle Beach: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Percent Republican: 66.1%
More on Conway: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
How we determined the most conservative cities in South Carolina for 2024
To find the most conservative places in South Carolina, we used Saturday Night Science – the argument you’d make at a bar – to find the cities with the most conservatives.
We started by making a list of every city in South Carolina over 5,000 people based on the 2018-2022 American Community Survey. That left us with 65 cities and towns.
We then measured the voting record and MIT election data to determine which places rock the most rightward in their allegiances by:
- Percentage Of Votes For The Republican President In 2020
Because no voting data exists at the city level, we used county-level election results from the 2020 election. We assigned every city in a county the percentage of votes that went to the Republicans, effectively extending the county’s results to the city level. In cases where larger cities encompassed an entire county, the election outcomes accurately reflected the city’s political landscape.
Next, we ranked each city from 1 to 65 for each criterion, where number one was the most conservative.
The winner, Clemson, is “The Most Conservative City in South Carolina For 2024”. The most liberal place in South Carolina was Forest Acres.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the most conservative places to live in South Carolina.
Summing Up The Conservative Strongholds in South Carolina
Well, there you have it, the places in South Carolina that have the highest number of conservatives per capita, with Clemson ranking as the most conservative in the entire state.
The most conservative cities in South Carolina are Clemson, Central, Easley, Seneca, Gaffney, Anderson, Batesburg-Leesville, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, and Conway.
If you’re curious, here are the least conservative cities in South Carolina:
- Forest Acres
- Orangeburg
- Marion
For more South Carolina reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In South Carolina
- Cheapest Places To Live In South Carolina
- Most Dangerous Cities In South Carolina
- Richest Cities In South Carolina
- Safest Places In South Carolina
- Worst Places To Live In South Carolina
- Most Expensive Places To Live In South Carolina
Most Conservative Places In South Carolina
| Rank | City | Population | % Conservative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clemson, SC | 17,557 | 74.6% |
| 2 | Central, SC | 5,272 | 74.6% |
| 3 | Easley, SC | 23,135 | 74.6% |
| 4 | Seneca, SC | 8,834 | 73.0% |
| 5 | Gaffney, SC | 12,651 | 71.4% |
| 6 | Anderson, SC | 29,345 | 70.3% |
| 7 | Batesburg-Leesville, SC | 5,004 | 67.0% |
| 8 | Myrtle Beach, SC | 36,064 | 66.1% |
| 9 | North Myrtle Beach, SC | 18,850 | 66.1% |
| 10 | Conway, SC | 25,121 | 66.1% |
| 11 | Fountain Inn, SC | 10,675 | 65.6% |
| 12 | Clinton, SC | 7,624 | 65.6% |
| 13 | Laurens, SC | 9,276 | 65.6% |
| 14 | Columbia, SC | 136,754 | 64.2% |
| 15 | Cayce, SC | 13,755 | 64.2% |
| 16 | Irmo, SC | 11,685 | 64.2% |
| 17 | West Columbia, SC | 17,459 | 64.2% |
| 18 | Lexington, SC | 23,665 | 64.2% |
| 19 | Lyman, SC | 6,099 | 62.9% |
| 20 | Spartanburg, SC | 38,301 | 62.9% |
| 21 | Greer, SC | 37,010 | 62.9% |
| 22 | Union, SC | 8,099 | 61.7% |
| 23 | North Augusta, SC | 24,425 | 61.5% |
| 24 | Newberry, SC | 10,682 | 61.4% |
| 25 | Camden, SC | 7,834 | 60.9% |
| 26 | Lancaster, SC | 8,592 | 60.8% |
| 27 | Greenwood, SC | 22,528 | 60.7% |
| 28 | Aiken, SC | 32,014 | 60.6% |
| 29 | Cheraw, SC | 5,056 | 59.8% |
| 30 | Travelers Rest, SC | 7,929 | 58.1% |
| 31 | Greenville, SC | 70,838 | 58.1% |
| 32 | Simpsonville, SC | 24,133 | 58.1% |
| 33 | Mauldin, SC | 25,267 | 58.1% |
| 34 | York, SC | 8,534 | 57.4% |
| 35 | Rock Hill, SC | 74,170 | 57.4% |
| 36 | Clover, SC | 6,800 | 57.4% |
| 37 | Fort Mill, SC | 26,022 | 57.4% |
| 38 | Tega Cay, SC | 12,816 | 57.4% |
| 39 | Georgetown, SC | 8,465 | 55.9% |
| 40 | Chester, SC | 5,260 | 55.0% |
| 41 | Moncks Corner, SC | 13,456 | 54.9% |
| 42 | Charleston, SC | 149,960 | 54.9% |
| 43 | Goose Creek, SC | 45,858 | 54.9% |
| 44 | Summerville, SC | 50,839 | 54.9% |
| 45 | Hanahan, SC | 20,731 | 54.9% |
| 46 | North Charleston, SC | 115,755 | 54.9% |
| 47 | Bluffton, SC | 29,375 | 54.4% |
| 48 | Hardeeville, SC | 8,048 | 54.4% |
| 49 | Beaufort, SC | 13,582 | 54.4% |
| 50 | Port Royal, SC | 14,573 | 54.4% |
| 51 | Hilton Head Island, SC | 37,708 | 54.4% |
| 52 | Walterboro, SC | 5,515 | 54.1% |
| 53 | Darlington, SC | 6,172 | 51.9% |
| 54 | Hartsville, SC | 7,450 | 51.9% |
| 55 | Florence, SC | 39,931 | 50.6% |
| 56 | Lake City, SC | 6,080 | 50.6% |
| 57 | Dillon, SC | 6,454 | 50.2% |
| 58 | Bennettsville, SC | 6,975 | 44.1% |
| 59 | Sumter, SC | 43,046 | 42.9% |
| 60 | Hollywood, SC | 5,397 | 42.6% |
| 61 | James Island, SC | 11,689 | 42.6% |
| 62 | Mount Pleasant, SC | 90,945 | 42.6% |
| 63 | Marion, SC | 6,402 | 38.8% |
| 64 | Orangeburg, SC | 13,220 | 33.0% |
| 65 | Forest Acres, SC | 10,514 | 30.1% |