20147 leans Democratic by roughly 24 points: about 62% of voters vote Democratic and 38% Republican.
About 80% of adults in 20147 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 20147, ~50% vote Democratic, ~30% Republican, and ~20% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 20147 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 20147 leans more Democratic than 19 of 35 neighbors.
20147 runs about 18 points more Democratic than Virginia as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 20147. The northeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+32) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+18), a spread of about 14 points.
Why 20147 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 20147, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 68% of adults in 20147 hold a bachelor's degree, about 40 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and 20147 sits in the top fifth on density (about 87%, above 86% of zip codes).
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; 20147, VA sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 20147 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 20147 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 76%, about 16 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 96% of adults in 20147 have completed high school, above 80% 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 Virginia Department 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.