12009 leans slightly Democratic by roughly 12 points: about 56% of voters vote Democratic and 44% Republican.
About 80% of adults in 12009 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 12009, ~45% vote Democratic, ~35% Republican, and ~20% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 12009 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 12009 leans more Democratic than 17 of 40 neighbors.
Politically, 12009 sits close to the rest of New York.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 12009. The east side runs the most Democratic (D+22) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (R+19), a spread of about 41 points.
Why 12009 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 12009, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 53% of adults in 12009 hold a bachelor's degree, about 25 points above the U.S. average of 28%.
Food insecurity and voter turnout
Places with low food insecurity tend to turn out at a higher rate; 12009, NY sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Food insecurity does not directly drive turnout; it reflects economic hardship, which lines up with lower voting.
Why turnout in 12009 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 12009 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 73%, about 13 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 96% of adults in 12009 have completed high school, above 82% 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 York State 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. Full methodology and findings: political spectrum map.
Methodology reviewed by the BestNeighborhood data team. Last updated May 2026.