20170 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 34 points: about 67% of voters vote Democratic and 33% Republican.
About 68% of adults in 20170 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 20170, ~45% vote Democratic, ~22% Republican, and ~33% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 20170 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 20170 leans more Democratic than 22 of 52 neighbors.
20170 runs about 28 points more Democratic than Virginia as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 20170. The southeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+43) and the west side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+30), a spread of about 13 points.
Why 20170 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 20170, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 96% of residents in 20170 live in densely developed areas, about 59 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and 20170 sits in the top quarter (about 57%, above 93% of zip codes). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 34% of adults in 20170 have never been married, above 78% of zip codes.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; 20170, VA sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in 20170 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 20170 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 71%, about 11 points above the U.S. average of 60%. 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.