16172 leans slightly Democratic by roughly 8 points: about 54% of voters vote Democratic and 46% Republican.
About 58% of adults in 16172 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 16172, ~31% vote Democratic, ~27% Republican, and ~42% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 16172 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 16172 leans more Democratic than 24 of 26 neighbors.
16172 runs about 9 points more Democratic than Pennsylvania as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 16172. The west side runs the most Democratic (D+15) and the northeast side runs the most Republican (R+50), a spread of about 65 points.
Why 16172 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 16172, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 53% of adults in 16172 hold a bachelor's degree, about 25 points above the U.S. average of 28%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 86% of adults in 16172 have never been married, in the top fraction of zip codes.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; 16172, PA sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 16172 looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 40% of households in 16172 rent, about 15 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Strong routine healthcare access lines up with higher turnout, and 16172 sits in the top quarter on routine-care measures. 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.