20860 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 42 points: about 71% of voters vote Democratic and 29% Republican.
About 81% of adults in 20860 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 20860, ~57% vote Democratic, ~23% Republican, and ~20% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 20860 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 20860 leans more Democratic than 24 of 83 neighbors.
20860 runs about 14 points more Democratic than Maryland as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 20860. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+46) and the south side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+35), a spread of about 12 points.
Why 20860 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 20860, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 65% of adults in 20860 hold a bachelor's degree, about 37 points above the U.S. average of 28%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 35% of adults in 20860 have never been married, above 80% of zip codes.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; 20860, MD sits in the top tenth 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 20860 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 20860 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 74%, about 14 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 93% of households in 20860 own their home, about 18 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.