20617 leans slightly Republican by roughly 10 points: about 45% of voters vote Democratic and 55% Republican.
About 79% of adults in 20617 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 20617, ~36% vote Democratic, ~43% Republican, and ~21% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 20617 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 20617 leans more Republican than 13 of 25 neighbors.
20617 runs about 38 points more Republican than Maryland as a whole. Maryland leans Democratic overall, while 20617 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 20617. The southwest side is the most split-leaning (R+12) and the east side is the least split-leaning (Even), a spread of about 12 points.
Why 20617 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 20617, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
20617 votes against the grain of Maryland. Maryland leans Democratic overall, while 20617 runs about 38 points more Republican. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 82% of households in 20617 are family households, above 95% of zip codes.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; 20617, MD sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in 20617 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 20617 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 68%, about 8 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 97% of adults in 20617 have completed high school, above 89% 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 Maryland 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.