02186 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 46 points: about 73% of voters vote Democratic and 27% Republican.
About 87% of adults in 02186 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 02186, ~64% vote Democratic, ~23% Republican, and ~13% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 02186 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 02186 leans more Democratic than 48 of 109 neighbors.
02186 runs about 21 points more Democratic than Massachusetts as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 02186. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+71) and the southeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+24), a spread of about 48 points.
Why 02186 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 02186, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 74% of adults in 02186 hold a bachelor's degree, about 46 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and 02186 sits in the top fifth on density (about 82%, above 84% of zip codes). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 33% of adults in 02186 have never been married, above 76% of zip codes.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 02186, MA sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in 02186 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 02186 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 76%, about 16 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 96% of adults in 02186 have completed high school, above 84% 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.