02542 leans slightly Democratic by roughly 6 points: about 53% of voters vote Democratic and 47% Republican.
About 43% of adults in 02542 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 02542, ~23% vote Democratic, ~20% Republican, and ~57% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 02542 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 02542 leans more Democratic than 6 of 32 neighbors.
02542 runs about 20 points more Republican than Massachusetts as a whole.
Why 02542 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 02542, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 42% of adults in 02542 hold a bachelor's degree, about 14 points above the U.S. average of 28%.
Homeownership and voter turnout
Places with renter-heavy households tend to turn out at a lower rate; 02542, MA sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 02542 looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. More than 99% of households in 02542 rent, about 75 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 96% of adults in 02542 have completed high school, above 79% of zip codes. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and 02542 sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. 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.