08540 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 50 points: about 75% of voters vote Democratic and 25% Republican.
About 69% of adults in 08540 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 08540, ~52% vote Democratic, ~17% Republican, and ~31% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 08540 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 08540 leans more Democratic than 47 of 54 neighbors.
08540 runs about 44 points more Democratic than New Jersey as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 08540. The southwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+60) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+30), a spread of about 30 points.
Why 08540 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 08540, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 82% of adults in 08540 hold a bachelor's degree, about 54 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; 08540, NJ 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 08540 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 08540 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%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 97% of adults in 08540 have completed high school, above 91% 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 New Jersey Division 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. Full methodology and findings: political spectrum map.
Methodology reviewed by the BestNeighborhood data team. Last updated May 2026.