01985 leans Democratic by roughly 22 points: about 61% of voters vote Democratic and 39% Republican.
About 92% of adults in 01985 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 01985, ~56% vote Democratic, ~36% Republican, and ~8% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 01985 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 01985 leans more Democratic than 33 of 40 neighbors.
Politically, 01985 sits close to the rest of Massachusetts.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 01985. The southwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+26) and the southeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+15), a spread of about 11 points.
Why 01985 leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per zip code to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for 01985, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 65% of adults in 01985 hold a bachelor's degree, about 36 points above the U.S. average of 28%.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; 01985, MA sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in 01985 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 01985 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 78%, about 18 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 96% of households in 01985 own their home, compared to around 79% in nearby zip codes. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 98% of adults in 01985 have completed high school, above 96% of zip codes. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Zip Codes
Zip Codes with Similar Populations
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Elections, 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.