12159 leans Democratic by roughly 28 points: about 64% of voters vote Democratic and 36% Republican.
About 81% of adults in 12159 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 12159, ~52% vote Democratic, ~29% Republican, and ~19% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 12159 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 12159 leans more Democratic than 40 of 56 neighbors.
12159 runs about 16 points more Democratic than New York as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 12159. The southeast side runs the most Democratic (D+41) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (R+8), a spread of about 50 points.
Why 12159 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 12159, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 63% of adults in 12159 hold a bachelor's degree, about 35 points above the U.S. average of 28%.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; 12159, NY sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in 12159 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 12159 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 75%, about 15 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 97% of adults in 12159 have completed high school, above 90% 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.