02878 is a true toss-up. About 51% of voters here vote Democratic and 49% 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 81% of adults in 02878 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 02878, ~41% vote Democratic, ~39% Republican, and ~20% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 02878 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 02878 sits roughly in the middle of the political spectrum, with 15 neighbors leaning further in the place's direction and 19 leaning the other way.
02878 runs about 13 points more Republican than Rhode Island as a whole.
Why 02878 leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in 02878. None of them point strongly toward either party.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 02878, RI sits in the top quarter 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 02878 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 02878 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%. 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.