02896 is a true toss-up. About 48% of voters here vote Democratic and 52% 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 74% of adults in 02896 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 02896, ~36% vote Democratic, ~38% Republican, and ~26% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 02896 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 02896 leans more Republican than 38 of 49 neighbors.
02896 runs about 18 points more Republican than Rhode Island as a whole. Rhode Island leans Democratic overall, while 02896 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 02896. The northeast side runs the most Democratic (D+11) and the south side runs the most Republican (R+18), a spread of about 29 points.
Why 02896 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 02896, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
02896 votes against the grain of Rhode Island. Rhode Island leans Democratic overall, while 02896 runs about 18 points more Republican.
Cholesterol-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high cholesterol-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; 02896, RI sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Cholesterol screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in 02896 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 02896 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 74%, about 14 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.