02872 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 36 points: about 68% of voters vote Democratic and 32% Republican. These figures are model estimates: Rhode Island did not have precinct-level voting records available for training, so the numbers above come from demographic and health features rather than local ground truth.
About more than 99% of adults in 02872 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 02872, ~68% vote Democratic, ~32% Republican, and ~0% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 02872 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 02872 leans more Democratic than 34 of 38 neighbors.
02872 runs about 21 points more Democratic than Rhode Island as a whole.
Why 02872 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 02872, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 74% of adults in 02872 hold a bachelor's degree, about 46 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; 02872, RI 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 02872 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 02872 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 more than 99% of households in 02872 own their home, compared to around 65% in nearby zip codes. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and more than 99% of adults in 02872 have completed high school, in the top fraction 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 Rhode Island Board of 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. RI did not have precinct-level voting records available for training, so the figures here come from extrapolation across demographic, health, and land-use features rather than local ground truth. Full methodology and findings: political spectrum map.
Methodology reviewed by the BestNeighborhood data team. Last updated May 2026.