20685 leans Republican by roughly 26 points: about 37% of voters vote Democratic and 63% Republican.
About 87% of adults in 20685 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 20685, ~32% vote Democratic, ~55% Republican, and ~13% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 20685 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 20685 leans more Republican than 17 of 20 neighbors.
20685 runs about 54 points more Republican than Maryland as a whole. Maryland leans Democratic overall, while 20685 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 20685. The south side is the most Republican-leaning (R+36) and the northwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+21), a spread of about 15 points.
Why 20685 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 20685, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
20685 votes against the grain of Maryland. Maryland leans Democratic overall, while 20685 runs about 54 points more Republican. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 78% of households in 20685 are family households, above 88% of zip codes.
Homeownership and voter turnout
Places with homeowner-heavy households tend to turn out at a higher rate; 20685, MD sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 20685 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 20685 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%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 90% of households in 20685 own their home, about 15 points above the U.S. average of 75%. 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.