15216 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 36 points: about 68% of voters vote Democratic and 32% Republican.
About 86% of adults in 15216 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 15216, ~58% vote Democratic, ~28% Republican, and ~14% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 15216 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 15216 leans more Democratic than 74 of 96 neighbors.
15216 runs about 38 points more Democratic than Pennsylvania as a whole. Pennsylvania is roughly evenly split, and 15216 sits clearly on the Democratic side.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 15216. The southwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+42) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+7), a spread of about 35 points.
Why 15216 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 15216, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 97% of residents in 15216 live in densely developed areas, about 60 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and 15216 sits in the top quarter (about 50%, above 89% of zip codes). 15216 runs against the grain of Pennsylvania, a Democratic-leaning outlier in a roughly evenly split state.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 15216, PA sits in the top tenth 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 15216 looks the way it does
Areas with high high-school completion turn out at higher rates. About 96% of adults in 15216 have completed high school, about 6 points above the U.S. average of 90%. 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 Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau 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.